United Airlines will add at least 23 seats to its long-haul Boeing 777-200s when it reconfigures the aircraft with its new Polaris business class seats.
The Chicago-based carrier will configure the aircraft with 50 lie-flat Polaris business seats and 242 economy seats, shows a seating diagram sent to flight attendants and provided to FlightGlobal by a source.
Polaris configuration of United's 777-200s
United
United configures its long-haul 777-200s with either 267 seats or 269 seats, depending on whether they are former Continental Airlines or United aircraft. Its domestic 777s have 364 seats and will not receive Polaris.
The airline joins competitors American Airlines and Delta Air Lines adding seats to its 777-200s. American is reconfiguring its fleet of the type with up to 289 seats compared to 247 seats previously, and Delta plans to retrofit its fleet with 296 seats versus 291 seats today.
United debuted Polaris on its 777-300ERs, which entered service in February, and then on the Boeing 767-300ER in September.
United Polaris on the 767
United
United plans to debut the reconfigured 777-200s this winter, a spokesman says.
Separately, United has set the configuration of its new Boeing 737 Max 9 at 179 seats, with 20 in first class and 159 in economy, a flight attendant seating diagram viewed by FlightGlobal shows. This is the same number of seats as on its 737-900ERs.
The airline is scheduled to take delivery of its first 10 737-9s in 2018, a September fleet plan shows.
United has firm orders for 61 737-9s and 100 737-10s, Flight Fleets Analyzer shows.
Updated with comment from United
Source: Cirium Dashboard
