UA A321neo Routes
 

UA opened the first neo routes today


Flight 321 ORD-PHX is the inaugural on December 14 followed by 4 more routes from chicago

Looks like I'm the first to book First on flight 321 per the seat map. Surprisingly cheap fare connecting via ORD onto the flight.

Kind of an odd layout for E+…


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...47b878cf51.png

What’s odd too is it doesn’t show the exit row for the door aft of the wing. Unless the aircraft is so low in capacity that they have it deactivated like the aft mid cabin “hat rack door” (that’s a really old term, sorry) on the 737-900. I’ve only flown the 321neo with Frontier and been inside Spirit’s but I know AA has the mid cabin lav back there and extra legroom seats.

ORD-PHX and ORD-MCO are two of my primary routes. This news just made my weekend!

Someone please check my calcs, but I got, for UA's configuration:

20 F, 180 Y (between 57 E+ and 123 Y) = 200

In comparison, AA's Neo is configured at 20 F, 176 Y = 196. AA does have the exit aft of the wing, with the mid-cabin lav there, but they blocked one overwing exit so there's only one exit row over the wing.

DL's Neo is 20 F, 174 Y = 194. Similar to UA with two overwing exits and the mid-cabin lav immediately behind F.

If my reading of the UA seat map is correct, congrats to UA for coming out with the most dense version of this plane amongst the US3, while having the most extra legroom coach seats. ;-/ Regular Y is going to be TIGHT

I missed that with AA having an overwing blocked but you’re right. JetBlue has 200 seats on it’s all coach version and has the full exit config.

Hey at least it doesn’t have 240 seats like Frontier! The last row is basically in the aft lav entryway.

It's kind of crazy that both JetBlue and UA are at 200 (with AA and DL not far behind), with JetBlue's being coach only.

Will be interested too to see what UA does in the very back with seating. Delta has a standard aft galley and lav arrangement on the neo but on the regular A321 has this space flex config (two lavs under the tail). They block 42ABC for crew use because there is nowhere really for the crew to sit inflight. One of the jumpseats is built into a lavatory door (or folds out over the galley carts like Spirit does) and the other faces the two lavatories. A lot of crews block the lav closest to the door so they can use that jumpseat.


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...2af782b50.jpeg

Anyone been on an inaugural before? Does UA do something fun or is it mostly business as usual?

Very much depends on what the inaugural is. I've been on several route inaugurals which were big parties at the gate. But also one that was a much smaller party and I ended up cutting and serving the cake to other passengers in HNL.

Getting a new type into service is definitely a big deal, but it is hard to know for sure just what UA will do to celebrate. Especially when the type will have to fly around a bit for crew familiarization before this. Whether there are any media or surprise & delight equipment swaps will also potentially impact that decision.

I've got a seat booked on this one for now, but no idea if I'll be able to attend.

UA makes the numbering of exit rows consistent with other aircraft types; that is, rows 20 and 21. When I took LH A321, FAs faced pax at the second set of exit row. I guess that UA will hide FAs in the back.🤗

There are no FA positions at the overwing exits on this configuration. FAs will be in usual door 1L/2L positions - it’s just a much longer A320 - in this context.

Granted they renumbered the inaugural flight to UA321, I do feel the odds of UA doing something are somewhat high.

To anyone looking to book a window on this, there are now just 2-3 window seats left in the entire plane.

According to the seat map, UA A321neo indeed has space flex type two lavs.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...7b664781cb.png