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United Airlines broke the silence this morning around its updated Polaris® (Business Class) cabin coming to the Boeing 787-9 and it looks spectacular. All seats in the cabin will have doors and 19-inch 4K OLED screens. The bulkhead will feature United Polaris Studio suites that are 25% larger than standard United Polaris® seats.
The new seats look amazing, but the United Polaris Studio seats are next level. These are positioned in the first row of each Business Class section and offer a total of eight, lie-flat, all-aisle-access seats with privacy doors, an extra ottoman seat for companions, exclusive entrées, an Ossetra caviar amuse-bouche service paired with Champagne Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé, a post-dessert snack box, new amenity kits, wireless charging, Bluetooth connectivity, and a huge 27-inch, 4K OLED screen.
United Polaris Studio amenities include exclusive hoodie-pajamas and slippers on all flights, new noise-cancelling headphones powered by Meridian technology, amenity kits featuring Perricone MD Cold Plasma Plus+ luxury skincare products, United-branded playing cards, a plush velvet throw pillow on the ottoman as well as Saks Fifth Avenue bedding that includes a duvet, day blanket, large pillow, and cooling gel pillow.
Interestingly, passengers who book a United Polaris Studio suite have access to the airline’s Global Reception® area, receive preferred boarding alongside United Global Services® customers, and are eligible for United’s tarmac transfer program.
All Polaris® passengers will have access to the grab-and-go snack area that will be available between meals.
The reimagined interior on the Boeing 787-9 includes a full transformation including refined finishes and a brighter and warmer feel throughout. The aircraft will offer 99 total premium seats (56 in Polaris®), which is the highest percentage among US carriers.
United Premium Plus seats will have privacy dividers and wireless charging. This aircraft will offer more in this class than any other United flies.
The United Economy® cabin will also offer Bluetooth connectivity and the largest screens of any carrier in Economy Class.
United expects to take delivery of the first Boeing 787-9 with the Elevated interior before the end of 2025. The first international passenger flights are planned in 2026 from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to London Heathrow Airport (LHR). All of United’s future 787 deliveries will get United Polaris Studio suites and Elevated interiors. The airline expects about 30 of these planes to join its fleet by 2027.
The new Boeing 787-9 aircraft with the Elevated interior will include:
- Eight United Polaris® Business Class Studio suites
- Two rows across two sections in a 1-2-1 configuration
- 56 United Polaris® Business Class suites
- 14 rows, across two sections in a 1-2-1 configuration
- Customers can choose between seats that face the window or center of the aircraft (ideal for individual travelers) and seats where all the suites face the aisle (perfect for those flying together)
- 35 United Premium Plus® seats (the most in United’s fleet)
- 5 rows in a 2-3-2 configuration
- 33 United Economy Plus seats and 90 United Economy seats
- 15 total rows in a 3-3-3 configuration
The carrier’s Boeing 787-9s currently have 48 United Polaris® seats, 21 United Premium Plus seats, 39 United Economy Plus seats, and 149 United Economy seats. This is a big jump in premium seating. Unfortunately, United will not be retrofitting its existing Boeing 787-9 aircraft with these new seats.
Anthony’s Take: My mouth is wide open. These new seats and especially the United Polaris® Studio look amazing. I can’t believe that this is a US carrier and want to fly this new cabin badly. Kudos, 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.
