Will the Polaris seats replace domestic business class seats?
Dec 13, 2019, 12:47 pm
#1
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Will the Polaris seats replace domestic business class seats?
I've been enjoying the roll-out of Polaris seats on more of my international flights (although I was stepping over my prone aisle seatmate on the 787-900 I flew last night from SYD-IAH).
However, I've been looking for information on whether United will upgrade the domestic business class seats to use Polaris seats. I get Polaris seats sometimes now, when they're repositioning planes. But most transcontinental (formerly PS) flights use 757s, which the United tracker gives no indication will be upgraded. United just announced that the 757s will be replaced by A321XLR starting in 2024. Does that mean we'll be stuck with the 2 across or 4 across business class seats for another 5 years?
Relatedly, have you seen an analysis on whether the Polaris seats take more space than the old seats? That is, can you fit you less Polaris seats in an identical cabin?
However, I've been looking for information on whether United will upgrade the domestic business class seats to use Polaris seats. I get Polaris seats sometimes now, when they're repositioning planes. But most transcontinental (formerly PS) flights use 757s, which the United tracker gives no indication will be upgraded. United just announced that the 757s will be replaced by A321XLR starting in 2024. Does that mean we'll be stuck with the 2 across or 4 across business class seats for another 5 years?
Relatedly, have you seen an analysis on whether the Polaris seats take more space than the old seats? That is, can you fit you less Polaris seats in an identical cabin?
Last edited by howdy000; Dec 13, 2019 at 12:55 pm Reason: typo on IAH
Dec 13, 2019, 12:50 pm
#2
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The Polaris (Optima) seat is space neutral to the prior seats (B/E Diamond and IPTE), i.e., same number seats in same space. The seat has not, to my knowledge, been used in a narrowbody, and I doubt they would achieve the same efficiencies.
Dec 13, 2019, 12:52 pm
#3
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I've been enjoying the roll-out of Polaris seats on more of my international flights (although I was stepping over my prone aisle seatmate on the 787-900 I flew last night from SYD-UAH).
However, I've been looking for information on whether United will upgrade the domestic business class seats to use Polaris seats. I get Polaris seats sometimes now, when they're repositioning planes. But most transcontinental (formerly PS) flights use 757s, which the United tracker gives no indication will be upgraded. United just announced that the 757s will be replaced by A321XLR starting in 2024. Does that mean we'll be stuck with the 2 across or 4 across business class seats for another 5 years?
Relatedly, have you seen an analysis on whether the Polaris seats take more space than the old seats? That is, can you fit you less Polaris seats in an identical cabin?
However, I've been looking for information on whether United will upgrade the domestic business class seats to use Polaris seats. I get Polaris seats sometimes now, when they're repositioning planes. But most transcontinental (formerly PS) flights use 757s, which the United tracker gives no indication will be upgraded. United just announced that the 757s will be replaced by A321XLR starting in 2024. Does that mean we'll be stuck with the 2 across or 4 across business class seats for another 5 years?
Relatedly, have you seen an analysis on whether the Polaris seats take more space than the old seats? That is, can you fit you less Polaris seats in an identical cabin?
1) I dont think anyone knows what F seats will be used on A321XLR.
2) There are many UA transcon flights that are on 737s. It's not just 757s.
Dec 13, 2019, 1:23 pm
#4
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The Premium Transcontinental flights are all on lie-flat seats, whether the high-density 777, 787-10, 757, or a 787-8/9 or international configured 777 on a positioning flight. The 737 is not used in those markets. (You will definitely see 737s on non-premium transcontinental flights, though, like SEA-IAD or SFO-MCO).
Dec 13, 2019, 1:30 pm
#5
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And it's pretty clear OP was referring to the premium t-cons, which as you note are not flown by 737s (absent a most unfortunate last minute swap).
Dec 13, 2019, 1:41 pm
#6
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I brought this up recently in re the narrowbody fleet.. do people want to be paying, say, an extra 12.5% (14J 1-1 instead of 16J 2-2) either through higher fares or fewer upgrades for the aisle access? Personally I'm not thrilled about the prospect, but others may disagree. The future is definitely going that direction.
Dec 13, 2019, 1:47 pm
#7
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I highly doubt United (or any commercial airline) would install lie-flat seats with all aisle access in a narrow-body aircraft.
By the way, while the retrofit has started, no 787-8 nor 787-9 have Polarized cabins in service just yet.
By the way, while the retrofit has started, no 787-8 nor 787-9 have Polarized cabins in service just yet.
Dec 13, 2019, 1:57 pm
#8
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The Premium Transcontinental flights are all on lie-flat seats, whether the high-density 777, 787-10, 757, or a 787-8/9 or international configured 777 on a positioning flight. The 737 is not used in those markets. (You will definitely see 737s on non-premium transcontinental flights, though, like SEA-IAD or SFO-MCO).
Dec 13, 2019, 2:04 pm
#9
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I do agree that 2-2 lie-flat seats would be sufficient on narrowbodies.
Dec 13, 2019, 2:07 pm
#10
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Incidentally, premium transcontinental flights, and long-haul flights to Hawaii, are not marketed as Polaris, even though they have lie-flat seats.
Dec 13, 2019, 2:14 pm
#11
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https://www.thompsonaero.com/seating-range/vantagesolo/
Dec 13, 2019, 2:16 pm
#12
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The Thompson VantageSolo purportedly gets close to Diamond density with a fully-flat, all-aisle-access narrowbody product. I'd bet dollars-to-donuts we see something like this on the UA 737-10 (if ever) and 321XLR.
https://www.thompsonaero.com/seating-range/vantagesolo/
https://www.thompsonaero.com/seating-range/vantagesolo/
Dec 13, 2019, 2:19 pm
#13
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The Thompson VantageSolo purportedly gets close to Diamond density with a fully-flat, all-aisle-access narrowbody product. I'd bet dollars-to-donuts we see something like this on the UA 737-10 (if ever) and 321XLR.
https://www.thompsonaero.com/seating-range/vantagesolo/
https://www.thompsonaero.com/seating-range/vantagesolo/
Dec 13, 2019, 2:28 pm
#14
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... Does that mean we'll be stuck with the 2 across or 4 across business class seats for another 5 years? ...
Dec 13, 2019, 2:45 pm
#15
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The same is true of the "1-1" seats that would be used in a "Polaris" narrowbody -- they'd actually be 2-2, but disguised.