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United Adding 1600 Premium Seats -- 763, A319/A320, CRJ550(CRJ700)

Old Feb 6, 2019, 11:33 am
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United Adds More Than 1,600 New Premium Seats to International, Domestic and Regional Aircraft; More Comfort for More Customers in the Skies
United to add 50 percent more premium cabin seats to more than 100 aircraft
United to introduce best-in-the-sky 50-seat flying experience with innovative new aircraft
CHICAGO, Feb. 6, 2019

United Airlines today announced the next step in its commitment to making more customers more comfortable by adding more than 1,600 United Polaris business class and United First seats to nearly 250 international and domestic aircraft. Additionally, United will revolutionize the regional flying experience by introducing the two-cabin, 50-seat Bombardier CRJ 550 aircraft to its fleet, offering customers on key regional routes more legroom, storage and amenities than any other 50-seat regional aircraft operating today.

Click here to view an infographic on United's newly reconfigured aircraft

"In an era where many airlines are adding seats to their aircraft to crowd more passengers onto the plane, we're re-configuring more than 100 of our aircraft and doing exactly the opposite for the benefit of our customers," said Andrew Nocella, United's executive vice president and chief commercial officer. "From adding more premium seats on aircraft that serve some of our most traveled routes, introducing a revolutionary, best-in-class 50-seat experience or simply offering free DIRECTV on more than 200 aircraft, we are committed to making United the airline that our customers choose to fly."

More United Polaris business seats on Boeing 767-300ER aircraft
In the next several weeks, United will introduce to its fleet the first of 21 reconfigured Boeing 767-300ER aircraft featuring 16 additional United Polaris business seats in the premium cabin a more than 50 percent increase in all-aisle-access seating bringing the total premium cabin seat count to 46. The newly reconfigured aircraft will also feature 22 United Premium Plus seats (becoming the first 767-300ER to offer this seat type); 47 Economy Plus seats and 52 Economy seats. United will first operate the reconfigured 767 which will feature the highest proportion of premium seats on any widebody operated by any U.S. carrier between Newark/New York and London, offering 50 percent more premium seats in the largest premium route in the world. The airline expects to introduce all the reconfigured aircraft to its fleet by the end of next year.

More United First seats on Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft
United is also adding more United First seats to its fleet of Airbus aircraft, offering customers greater opportunities to upgrade and enjoy a premium flying experience. Beginning this fall, the carrier will add four United First seats on its fleet of Airbus A319s, increasing the total count from eight to 12. The reconfigured aircraft will also feature 36 Economy Plus and 78 Economy seats.

Beginning early next year, United will add four United First seats on its fleet of nearly 100 Airbus A320 aircraft, increasing the total count from 12 to 16. The reconfigured aircraft will also feature 39 Economy Plus seats and 95 Economy seats. United expects to complete the reconfiguration of the Airbus A320 and A319s by the middle of next year.

Introducing the first-of-its-kind Bombardier CRJ 550
By the end of this year, United will revolutionize the regional flying experience with the planned introduction of 50 spacious, 50-seat Bombardier CRJ 550 aircraft to its regional fleet, subject to government certification. In addition to becoming the only 50-seat aircraft in the world to offer true first-class seating, the innovative new aircraft will provide customers with a truly exceptional flying experience, including a state-of-the-art interior featuring LED lighting, a self-serve beverage and snack station for customers seated in the premium cabin, Wi-Fi and more overall legroom per seat than any other 50-seat aircraft flown by any U.S. carrier. Additionally, the CRJ 550 will feature four storage closets, providing customers ample room to store their carryon bags and making the CRJ 550 the only regional jet in the skies where customers will not need to routinely gate check their bags.

The two-cabin CRJ 550 will feature 10 United First seats; 20 Economy Plus seats and 20 Economy seats. The CRJ 550 aircraft will eventually replace existing single-cabin 50-seat aircraft and will bring a higher percentage of two-cabin departures to smaller cities across the carrier's network. Additionally, the innovative aircraft will enable United to offer premium seats on more connecting flights from smaller cities to the airline's overall global network, further strengthening its competitive position and emphasizing its role as an industry innovator.

United expects that its regional partner GoJet will begin operating the CRJ 550 in the second half of this year subject to agreement on final terms and conditions on select routes from Chicago, O'Hare followed by Newark/New York, offering customers connecting through the hub the opportunity to enjoy a premium cabin experience at every step of their journey.

Every customer. Every flight. Every day.
In 2019, United is focusing more than ever on its commitment to its customers, looking at every aspect of its business to ensure that the carrier keeps customers' best interests at the heart of its service. In addition to today's announcement, United recently released a re-imagined version of the most downloaded app in the airline industry and made DIRECTV free for every passenger on 211 aircraft, offering more than 100 channels on seat back monitors on more than 30,000 seats. The multimillion-dollar investment in improving inflight entertainment options will benefit the more than 29 million people expected to fly United's DIRECTV-enabled planes this year.


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United Adding 1600 Premium Seats -- 763, A319/A320, CRJ550(CRJ700)

Old Feb 6, 2019, 1:49 pm
  #91  
 
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Originally Posted by transportprof
So I wonder how the Emirates in-suite mini bar gets around those FARs? I wish I could provide the answer from personal experience.
Perhaps if it's "in suite" then it has been served by the FA by being placed in the suite. Kind of like how the FA "serves" you by providing the mini to you at your seat but then you can open it when you want.
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Old Feb 6, 2019, 1:52 pm
  #92  
 
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Originally Posted by transportprof
So FARs don't apply to foreign carriers serving US airports? Some Emirates flights to the West Coast spend a fair bit on time in US airspace.
This is getting way off topic, but generally speaking, airlines are regulated by the civil aviation authorities of their flag countries. The US identifies civil aviation authorities that don't meet ICAO standards for oversight and restricts the operations of airlines flying under that flag in the US. Famously, Thailand and South Korea have, at times, ended up with such restrictions (but they're both ok now). While some local regulations apply (especially when on the ground), the FAA doesn't regulate foreign flag carriers flying international flights.

This used to be more important in the past because complying with a patchwork of local aviation regulations would make international flying a giant pain, but it's probably less important now because most countries adopt regulations that closely mirror those of the FAA or EASA.
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Last edited by Sykes; Feb 6, 2019 at 1:58 pm
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Old Feb 6, 2019, 1:53 pm
  #93  
 
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Originally Posted by Billygreg
I am sorry but there are tons of negatives to this for a319/a320 for elites. Lots of fewer E+ seats wont be good as it is hard enough now to get an aisle in E+,especially close-in. And does anyone really think your upgrade % is going to increase? Really? They are going to sell those seats for TODs every chance they get before they give them out as upgrades,as they do today. Andlikely at lower prices than today (since there are more of them). Most of us who fly on OPM can't buy first class except with our own money. So we will be competing with lower priced first class seats with our mostly useless elite upgrades. And the chance for a decent seat when you don't pay for the upgrade will decline as they remove E+ seats. And it is likely easier to get more non-elites to pay for first class vs E+. So upgrades will be just as hard and there will be less E+. Can't see how that benefits anyone.
From this article, it may be that the real driver of this is connecting to international flights, and having to tell customers that while they can buy a ticket from ORD-HKG/LHR/FRA in Polaris, they're going to have to fly the domestic leg in coach.

We felt like we were at a competitive disadvantage in certain markets, Andrew Nocella, Uniteds chief commercial officer, said in an interview with reporters.
Today we hear all too often that passengers come in from a smaller market trying to access Uniteds global network, (but) cant find a premium seat on the short-haul segment, he said.
He pointed to Bentonville, Arkansas home to Walmarts corporate headquarters as an example of a market where United has been at a disadvantage.
Our competitors offer premium seats for the entire journey. United does not. As a result, we have a low share of premium Bentonville passengers to the world, Nocella said.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/trave...et/2785146002/
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Old Feb 6, 2019, 2:00 pm
  #94  
 
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CRJ-550 will be a CRJ-700 with gross weight reduced (on paper) to 65k in order to comply with UAL scope, and reduced seating capacity, not a new airplane, or even new to the UAX fleet.

For that reason, dont expect to see these CR5s flying too far afield.
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Old Feb 6, 2019, 2:04 pm
  #95  
 
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Originally Posted by EWR764
CRJ-550 will be a CRJ-700 with gross weight reduced (on paper) to 65k in order to comply with UAL scope, and reduced seating capacity, not a new airplane, or even new to the UAX fleet.
Well, it's a new aircraft model with a new certificate type, so not really sure how you make any of these claims simply because it's based on a CR7.
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Old Feb 6, 2019, 2:06 pm
  #96  
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I think its great, and I disagree with people who are complaining about the increased F on the 319/320, which (particularly, the 319 with its pathetic 4 usable F seats) is a big improvement.
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Old Feb 6, 2019, 2:17 pm
  #97  
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This still feels too good to be true, and I'm trying to figure out when the other shoe will drop. Especially the 10F CR5... what a seemingly impossible passenger-friendly improvement from CR7s or CR2s. But hey, maybe just this once, it's untarnished good news

On the "squeezing" front, DL manages 12F 319s and 16F 320s with 6 and 10 more seats than the stated UA seatcounts respectively, so I'm sure UA can find room. Admittedly, the DL aircraft do this with 3 rows of 34" C+, 36" in F, and the double-slimlined lavs in the back.
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Old Feb 6, 2019, 2:21 pm
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Originally Posted by UAX_Brasilia
Well, it's a new aircraft model with a new certificate type, so not really sure how you make any of these claims simply because it's based on a CR7.
Pretty easily, actually. The CRJ-550 is fundamentally a CRJ-700, with a supplemental type certificate and paperwork updates to reconfigure the cabin and reduce certified gross weights to comply with United's pilot scope clause.

It's not a "new" aircraft model, not a "new" type certificate, and I have seen no indication that these are actually new airplanes. I'd be shocked if they were.

Last edited by EWR764; Feb 6, 2019 at 2:29 pm
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Old Feb 6, 2019, 2:24 pm
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Originally Posted by findark
This still feels too good to be true, and I'm trying to figure out when the other shoe will drop. Especially the 10F CR5... what a seemingly impossible passenger-friendly improvement from CR7s or CR2s. But hey, maybe just this once, it's untarnished good news
No kidding.
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Old Feb 6, 2019, 2:25 pm
  #100  
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Originally Posted by findark
Admittedly, the DL aircraft do this with 3 rows of 34" C+, 36" in F, and the double-slimlined lavs in the back.
Right. This, specifically, is my concern. The extra pitch has to come from somewhere, particularly on the A320 where they're keeping the same passenger count.
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Old Feb 6, 2019, 2:28 pm
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Does it look like there is finally also a cross over on the 763? I always hated the new lack of a crossover and the FA's were not fond of it either.
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Old Feb 6, 2019, 2:31 pm
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Originally Posted by transportprof
So FARs don't apply to foreign carriers serving US airports? Some Emirates flights to the West Coast spend a fair bit on time in US airspace.
Generally only the flight rules. It would be completely unworkable for an international airline to have to completely switch all regulations everytime we crossed a border. How could we possibly know all the regulations for every country in which we fly?

Originally Posted by cesco.g
Wondering if more stowage on the CRJs will result in larger bins, capable to hold a standard roll-aboard?
The CRJ-700 already has slightly larger bins which do accept standard rollaboards. In the CRJ-550, you're also eliminated 20 passengers so imagine a CRJ-700 flight with 20 empty seats. Chances are, most of the carry-on bags would fit even without the four closets that the CRJ-550 will have.

Actually, a rollaboard will fit in a CRJ-200 overhead though it is a very tight fit. You'll see that the crew's rollaboards are in the overheads on most CRJ-200 operators. The problem is that the overheads would be full very early in the boarding process if the passengers were allowed to bring them onboard as well.
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Old Feb 6, 2019, 2:34 pm
  #103  
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Originally Posted by jsloan
Right. This, specifically, is my concern. The extra pitch has to come from somewhere, particularly on the A320 where they're keeping the same passenger count.
DL has an entire extra row though. UA only really needs to scrounge 3" when they're turning a row of E+ into a row of F, which doesn't sound that hard to fudge. The odd seat count on the 320 seems to imply they're straddling the exit like on the new 73Gs.
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Old Feb 6, 2019, 2:37 pm
  #104  
 
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My main take away is that UA is finally leading on something not just copying DL. That makes me a little warmer inside.
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Old Feb 6, 2019, 2:39 pm
  #105  
 
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Originally Posted by nevansm
Given the pace at which some express FA's do service, I'm perfectly fine with it. As long as I get to pour myself a PDB
Poor performance should not be an excuse to accept a decline in service/benefits.

Like people who never check baggage because they are afraid it will get lost or its too slow.
Or people who hang their coats by themselves because the FA is too slow or forgets
Now it is better to pour your own drink and get your own food because the FA is too slow or does it incorrectly?

We should push UA to improve their services. Not accept a reduction as a re-branded "game changer".

Anyways, overall, this sounds like a good change. However, as always, the devil is in the details so we'll see.
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