United Airlines is increasing the number of first-class and other spacious seats, which are priced significantly higher than standard economy class. The carrier will introduce new cabin configurations on some regional jets and establish a sub-fleet of Airbus narrow-body aircraft equipped with top-tier Polaris lie-flat seats. As revenue from premium cabins outpaces that of standard economy, multiple airlines, including United, Delta, and American Airlines, are modifying their cabin layouts.

United's strategy to boost profits involves reducing the total number of seats while improving their quality. The airline, which is the second most profitable in the U.S. after Delta, unveiled new cabin designs on Tuesday. These changes will affect even some of its smallest aircraft, featuring more premium seats and fewer standard economy seats. The price difference between cabin classes is substantial. For example, a Boeing 757 flight from United's Newark Liberty International Airport hub to San Francisco during the first week of May shows a standard economy fare of $423, compared to a top-tier Polaris business class fare of $5,556. Despite a significant rise in fuel costs, United executives have stated in recent weeks that travel demand remains robust, with premium travel demand performing particularly stronger than main cabin demand. Andrew Nocella, United's Chief Commercial Officer, told reporters last week, "Main cabin business is also improving. Demand was very strong across the board for United in the first quarter, but premium cabins again led the way this quarter, and that trend is continuing." United plans to introduce a sub-fleet of Airbus A321neo narrow-body aircraft, named "Coastliner," for transcontinental flights. These planes will be equipped with 20 Polaris lie-flat seats, each with direct aisle access. This aircraft configuration will also include 12 premium economy seats and 36 extra-legroom economy seats, with the remainder being standard economy seats. United stated that three seats were removed from the standard layout to make space for a snack bar at the rear of the aircraft. The current layout for this aircraft type does not include premium economy. It has 57 extra-legroom economy seats, 123 standard economy seats, and 20 recliner first-class seats, not the lie-flat Polaris seats. United said the first "Coastliner" aircraft will enter service this summer, with the fleet expected to grow to 40 planes by early 2028. The airline also revealed the cabin layout for the long-range Airbus A321XLR, which will replace some older Boeing 757s. This model will similarly feature 20 Polaris suites, 12 premium economy seats, and 34 extra-legroom economy seats. It is scheduled to make its inaugural flight this summer and will be capable of operating existing routes to Spain, France, Portugal, and Brazil. Additionally, United will add a 7-seat first-class cabin to its Bombardier CRJ-200 regional jets, reducing the total seat count from 51 to 41. These aircraft previously featured a single cabin class. These adjustments reflect an industry-wide trend: airlines are allocating more of the limited space on aircraft to premium seats, as revenue growth from these cabins far exceeds that from standard economy. Last year, United introduced an upgraded Polaris suite on its long-haul Boeing 787 Dreamliner routes, which includes the "Polaris Studio" option offering more space, a 27-inch 4K screen, and a visitor ottoman. United's main competitor, Delta Air Lines, has indicated it expects premium cabin revenue to surpass main cabin revenue this year. Last month, Delta announced that the first seven of its new Airbus A321neo aircraft, starting in May, will be configured with 44 first-class seats—more than double the usual 20. Demand for new luxury suites and premium seats is extremely high, to the point where supply chains are struggling to keep up. This bottleneck has reportedly even caused delays in aircraft deliveries. Delta stated that the large first-class cabin on its A321neos is an interim measure, to be used "only near-term while Delta awaits delivery of lie-flat suites to ultimately install on the aircraft type." Meanwhile, United has been planning for years to install lie-flat seats on some of its new narrow-body aircraft. In August 2018, CEO Scott Kirby told reporters the company planned to offer lie-flat seats on the new Boeing 737 MAX 10. However, that aircraft model has still not been certified and is years behind schedule. Other airlines are also adding premium seats. JetBlue, which pioneered lie-flat seats and suites on its Airbus narrow-body fleet, plans to introduce a more streamlined domestic first-class product later this year. Southwest Airlines recently introduced extra-legroom seats on its Boeing 737 fleet for the first time, ending decades of an all-coach, single-class configuration. Low-cost carriers Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines also plan to add more spacious seating options.