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United Airlines is the latest of he Big 3 to begin celebrating its 100th anniversary. Its CEO, Scott Kirby, sent MileagePlus® members a note today to share some of what is coming up for the Chicago-based carrier in 2026. While United is far from perfect (and I have not been shy to call them out when something is off), but the airline has seen me more than any other and I should hit the two-million miler mark with United this year or next. Here is some of what United has in store for 2026.
Expanded and Upgraded United Club℠ Locations
United is expanding and upgrading some of the lounges at its Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) hubs. United has made great strides to improve the United Clubs℠ and I hope they just keep getting better. You can find reviews of the many I have visited here.
More Aircraft
United expects to take delivery of more than 100 aircraft in 2026. This includes 20 Boeing 787-9 planes with United’s newest Polaris seats (including the Polaris Studio℠) as well as Bluetooth connectivity, more overhead bin space, and what United claims are the world’s largest seatback screens in United Economy®. I wrote more about the new Polaris® cabin when it was announced back in May. United will also bring on the Airbus A321XLR soon (this will open up even more routes).
Fast, Free Starlink Wi-Fi
I’ve only gotten to experience it once, but it was awesome. As I have shared in the past, United MileagePlus® members will soon have access to Starlink Wi-Fi in flight. This is being rolled out across hundreds of planes in 2026 and will offer connectivity from gate to gate.
More Global Routes
United has the most exciting route network of any US carrier (hands down). There are even more exciting global routes coming next summer, including these four:
- Bari Karol Wojtyła Airport (BRI) (4x weekly; starts on May 1st)
- Glasgow Airport (GLA) (1x daily; starts on May 8th)
- Santiago-Rosalía de Castro Airport (SCQ) (3x weekly; starts on May 27th)
- Split Saint Jerome Airport (SPI) (3x weekly; starts on April 30th)
I love that United is flying to Bari. We had so much fun in Puglia back in summer 2024.
Anthony’s Take: I’m excited to continue flying United and to be getting closer to my own milestone with the airline as two million miles comes into focus. Happy Anniversary, United!
(Image Credits: United Airlines.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
