If you’ve ever felt utterly cramped on a plane, United has good news. On Tuesday, the airline announced it’s adding a new seating arrangement to a row on its Economy Plus cabin that aims to give passengers a more comfortable experience.
In general, you’ll probably feel lucky if you end up in a row with only two passengers. Now, you don’t have to leave it to chance. The new design is one that transforms the row’s middle seat into a shared table, giving passengers a bit more wiggle room, not to mention elbow space. Passengers can use the permanently-fixed table for drinks, snacks, phones, or just to put some distance between themselves and their row-mate.
The airline will be the first known U.S. carrier to offer the arrangement, which will be featured on its latest fleet of 50 Airbus A321XLR. But the company says it is also “exploring offering these types of seats on other aircraft types in the future.” United already offers three inches of extra legroom in its Economy Plus XLR planes.
“We’re investing nose-to-tail across our fleet and giving customers choice and value in every cabin,” said United’s Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Nocella in the news release.
Nocella continued, “The XLR is our newest aircraft and not only offers all-aisle access lie-flat seats in United Polaris but now also includes seats in Economy Plus with extra leg and elbow room. Our customers are going to love all these new options.”
United says that it will release more information about its new design soon, as well as pricing details before tickets go on sale for the seats later in the year.
The upgraded seating arrangement is not the first time United has aimed to give passengers extra comfort. Earlier this year, the airline introduced its “United Relax Row,” a row of seats that transform into a bed, which will be on planes in 2027. The company said it will offer 12 per plane and the arrangement will be on at least 200 planes by 2030.
According to United’s latest announcement, its new fleet will begin flying domestically this fall and internationally by early next year. By 2028, over half of the planes will have lifted off.
