Oct 29, 2018, 2:14 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
UA has started installing Premium Plus / Premium Economy seats in 772s and 773s. Other long haul aircraft will also be receiving these new seats.
For 77x it is a 2-4-2 (vs economy 3-4-3) with 3 rows - 24 seats
For 76x it is believe it will be 2-2-2 (vs 2-3-2) with 3 rows ( and maybe a partial row) - 22 seats
For 78x it is believed it will be 2-3-2 (vs 3-3-3) with 3 rows - 21 seats
UA has not yet started selling this new cabin but has restructured its fare class -- which appears to be in preparation of selling the new cabin (and removed 3-class F)
In the meantime, the Premium Plus cabin is being treated as an extension of E+ and those with E+ access can select the new seats.
In many cases UA is initially using an interim seat maps, such as https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/united-airlines-mileageplus/1926142-interim-772-seat-map-polaris-potentially-premium-economy-2018-a.html
Things start to firm up about 2 days prior but last minute changes can happen
For 77x it is a 2-4-2 (vs economy 3-4-3) with 3 rows - 24 seats
For 76x it is believe it will be 2-2-2 (vs 2-3-2) with 3 rows ( and maybe a partial row) - 22 seats
For 78x it is believed it will be 2-3-2 (vs 3-3-3) with 3 rows - 21 seats
UA has not yet started selling this new cabin but has restructured its fare class -- which appears to be in preparation of selling the new cabin (and removed 3-class F)
In the meantime, the Premium Plus cabin is being treated as an extension of E+ and those with E+ access can select the new seats.
In many cases UA is initially using an interim seat maps, such as https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/united-airlines-mileageplus/1926142-interim-772-seat-map-polaris-potentially-premium-economy-2018-a.html
Things start to firm up about 2 days prior but last minute changes can happen
Real Premium Economy is Coming [Update: UA studying "Real" Prem Y in domestic market]
Jan 19, 2018, 8:13 am
#151
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 957
As someone who pays for J TATL, this excites me. I will pay to be up front on the way over- when sleep is important- and happily pay for the PE product on the return. Hoping their purchasing algorithms are similar to now, and don't push me into the same class both ways.
Jan 19, 2018, 8:13 am
#152
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: All of them, UA-Plat, 1MM*G
Posts: 881
My guess:
777: 3-3-3
787: 2-4-2
350: 2-4-2
Think of UA's PE as putting in the same number of seats across as the planes were originally designed for. In other words, just what Y was 15 years ago. I wouldn't lay stock on any of the advertising pictures.
777: 3-3-3
787: 2-4-2
350: 2-4-2
Think of UA's PE as putting in the same number of seats across as the planes were originally designed for. In other words, just what Y was 15 years ago. I wouldn't lay stock on any of the advertising pictures.
Jan 19, 2018, 8:25 am
#153
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1P-1MM, Marriott LT Titanium
Posts: 3,930
The conversion is going to depend on whether they change the number of C seats on a plane. I would think that if they are just removing Y seats, the conversion will be quicker than if they are removing C and Y seats for the PE section.
Jan 19, 2018, 8:32 am
#154
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2005
Programs: Delta Diamond, Marriott Ambassador & Lifetime Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, United Silver
Posts: 6,334
My guess is these are just whatever seats the manufacturer had. They may not even be the same model.
Jan 19, 2018, 8:54 am
#155
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: New York, NY
Programs: UA, AA, DL, Hertz, Avis, National, Hyatt, Hilton, SPG, Marriott
Posts: 9,452
I'm pretty confident this is just a very high-quality rendering, most likely using the same software.
Jan 19, 2018, 9:31 am
#156
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: London & Sonoma CA
Programs: UA 1K, MM *G for life, BAEC Gold
Posts: 10,224
It will be interesting to see the ratio of PE seating. It is becoming a more popular product, with Norwegian only today announcing that they are increasing the size of their PE cabins, starting immediately.
Jan 19, 2018, 9:41 am
#157
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: MIA
Programs: AA EXP (AC), DL G (SC), Bonvoy LTP, & IHG AMB
Posts: 1,798
I like the idea. I can pay (based on what DL charges from my home airport) $2000 for a R/T to China. A GPU failure means a very nice consolation prize of something better than a few more inches of legroom over a standard economy seat. I never have been a cheerleader for E+, since I am 6'0", but all torso with very wide shoulders, legroom isn't a big deal to me, but shoulder width is, and I simply cannot fly in long-haul Y if someone is next to me in a standard economy seat. This is exactly what I have been waiting for, even 3-4 inches of total left-to-right personal space will make ALL the difference in the world (if I can't get to J).
One thing I noticed as I was playing around with DL's PE product last night. Domestic segments book into a domstic first class seat. If UA is mapping their PE fares the same way, then wow--the value proposition is even higher. This could be a make or break for me if it does indeed book into an F class seat.
One thing I noticed as I was playing around with DL's PE product last night. Domestic segments book into a domstic first class seat. If UA is mapping their PE fares the same way, then wow--the value proposition is even higher. This could be a make or break for me if it does indeed book into an F class seat.
Jan 19, 2018, 9:42 am
#158
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: AA Plat, UA 1K>Plat>moving to Silver
Posts: 2,090
Why do I have the feeling that the day I can read FT in the new Polaris Club in IAD it will have a thread on the slow rollout of these PE seats. Obviously, they feel the competition with international carriers with true PE, like AF and BA, which are both quite nice, and acceptable on the return TATLs where you will not be sleeping. However, I will worry about the impact of this once it happens, which will undoubtedly not be for a long time. I think, given UA marketing's past history of overpromising and slow rollouts, these kinds of emails tend to annoy a lot of people.
Jan 19, 2018, 9:49 am
#159
Moderator: Smoking Lounge; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: Lifetime (for now) Gold MM, HH Gold, Giving Tootsie Pops to UA employees, & a retired hockey goalie
Posts: 28,878
Jan 19, 2018, 9:59 am
#160
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: BA Bronze, United 1K, HH Gold, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,477
Why do the passengers on those pictures always look happier than the passenger in the seat next to me? The three of them are smiling and I get the grumpy ones. Or maybe I would also be smiling like that if I won the lottery and got no neighbor.
Jan 19, 2018, 10:12 am
#161
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: 6 year GS, now 2MM Jeff-ugee, *wood LTPlt, SkyPeso PLT
Posts: 6,526
Does anyone have any idea if this is the actual seat UA is using? It appears to be the exact same seat that Delta is using on the A350 (in 2-4-2), which looks like this (from DL's web-site:
If so, it is going to be narrow ( since the 787 is 4.3" narrower, each seat would lose .5" in width) given that the Delta seats are already on the narrow wide for PE.
CX gives lounge access on PE tickets, or at least gave it to use a few weeks ago... I don't have status on OneWorld, so 100% sure I got it due to having PE seats.
+1. Very glad that UA is announcing this, curious to see how they implement it, but until it shows up on the 789/77Ws I am seeing ex-SFO, I will continue to book other airlines that offer PE or a decent Y. United has to win back my business at this point.
lets home you are wrong, but I suspect you are right.
If so, it is going to be narrow ( since the 787 is 4.3" narrower, each seat would lose .5" in width) given that the Delta seats are already on the narrow wide for PE.
Going by what other airlines are doing, there likely won't be lounge access solely on the basis of a PE ticket. That makes sense to me, because PE is still economy, and it further differentiates the J product. Perhaps, like CX, lounge access will be offered as an a la carte purchase.
They should do this, and it is a long overdue improvement, one that I am looking forward to. That said, I understand other posters suspicions, because it looks like the only aircraft we will see premium economy on over the next 18 months are the new 787-10. It seems to me that if they’re going to go to the trouble of modifying the 772 with Polaris, it would make sense to add premium economy seats at the same time. Especially given that they are going 10 wide in economy.
If Oscar and Scott believe that I’m going to fly TATL or TPAC in 10 wide economy with no option for premium economy, they are sadly mistaken. They need to get premium economy installed at the same time as they densify the rest of the Y cabin, or I will continue to direct my business elsewhere.
If Oscar and Scott believe that I’m going to fly TATL or TPAC in 10 wide economy with no option for premium economy, they are sadly mistaken. They need to get premium economy installed at the same time as they densify the rest of the Y cabin, or I will continue to direct my business elsewhere.
Why do I have the feeling that the day I can read FT in the new Polaris Club in IAD it will have a thread on the slow rollout of these PE seats. Obviously, they feel the competition with international carriers with true PE, like AF and BA, which are both quite nice, and acceptable on the return TATLs where you will not be sleeping. However, I will worry about the impact of this once it happens, which will undoubtedly not be for a long time. I think, given UA marketing's past history of overpromising and slow rollouts, these kinds of emails tend to annoy a lot of people.
Last edited by spin88; Jan 19, 2018 at 10:18 am
Jan 19, 2018, 10:38 am
#162
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 687
Take a look at the woman in the Polaris Lounge, she looks way way too happy to be buttering that bagel.
But it gets worse. Take a look at that woman in the background of the UA Club bar.
She’s so excited to be having a conversation that she turned her seat around to talk to the guy. (Both of whom conveniently have little to no luggage).
This goes to the overall point that you can’t look too deep into these photos, they are all corporate shots that are made to be perfect.
Jan 19, 2018, 10:55 am
#163
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 734
I get upgraded on Air Canada, LH and NZ domestic flights regularly. Air Canada's domestic "first class" is nice. NZ's domestic upgrade looks like E+ with flight attendants that are always a lot more chipper.
Last edited by Long Zhiren; Jan 19, 2018 at 11:05 am
Jan 19, 2018, 11:09 am
#164
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: MFR
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,885
Yeah, you have a point.
Take a look at the woman in the Polaris Lounge, she looks way way too happy to be buttering that bagel.
But it gets worse. Take a look at that woman in the background of the UA Club bar.
She’s so excited to be having a conversation that she turned her seat around to talk to the guy. (Both of whom conveniently have little to no luggage).
This goes to the overall point that you can’t look too deep into these photos, they are all corporate shots that are made to be perfect.
Take a look at the woman in the Polaris Lounge, she looks way way too happy to be buttering that bagel.
But it gets worse. Take a look at that woman in the background of the UA Club bar.
She’s so excited to be having a conversation that she turned her seat around to talk to the guy. (Both of whom conveniently have little to no luggage).
This goes to the overall point that you can’t look too deep into these photos, they are all corporate shots that are made to be perfect.
Jan 19, 2018, 11:17 am
#165
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: DAL
Posts: 3,400
CX does not give lounge access for just Premium Economy tickets. Sometimes lounge access is given as a service recovery tool or marketing initiative. What was the route you took a few weeks ago?