United Airlines of Chicago will modernize its fleet, acquiring 250-plus additional aircraft over the next two years to replace many Boeing 757s and some smaller jets. The airplanes will create new experiences for transcontinental travelers and introduce fresh onboard products for every passenger. The new models include the Coastliner Airbus A321, United’s first narrowbody aircraft with elevated interiors and featuring a lie-flat seat in United Polaris business class; the Airbus A321XLR, which will double the number of premium seats to 32; the Bombardier CRJ450, operated by SkyWest to connect smaller cities to the airline’s Denver and Chicago hubs; and the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, also with elevated interiors and 27-inch, 4K OLED seatback screens—the largest screens among U.S. carriers. Many of these planes will begin service this year.
“These new planes and products not only complement our fleet and network plans, but they also give customers more premium amenity and seat choices—whether they bought a basic economy ticket to fly from Chicago to Fort Wayne, Indiana, or are flying United Polaris business class between San Francisco and Singapore,” says United Airlines Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Nocella in a prepared statement. “United Airlines is setting the pace and innovating at a scope and scale unheard of in aviation history—and we’re not taking our foot off the gas.”
