Last month I wrote about the completion of United’s first 767-300 retrofit. Last night, the reconfigured aircraft took its first flight, from Newark to London.
> Read More: Revealed: United 767 Polaris Cabin Layout
There was some controversy that the new 767 could not possibly be any roomier than the 2-2-2 767 business class cabin, but the pictures suggest otherwise.
Granted, these are United-produced press release photos, but the seats look more spacious to me. And of course, every seat features direct aisle access and is longer and wider than the existing business class seat onboard (though not as roomy as the Polaris seat on the 777-300ER).
Ultimately, I’ll need to try the seats for myself, but this is definitely not six-across seating.
United touts the following improvements in the 767-3oo retrofit:
- Larger overhead bins
- New modern lavatories with accent lighting
- New cabin branding/design updates
Currently, only the former three-cabin 767-300s (featuring a first class section) are being retrofitted. There are 14 jets in total. The two-cabin 767-300s featuring the ex-Continental business class seat will not be retrofitted at this time.
United 767-300 Economy Class = Widest Seat Width in Fleet
The new economy class seat will feature 18.5″ seat width, the widest seat width in the United fleet. Every seat will have new leather upholstery, a universal power outlet, and video on demand.
CONCLUSION
I still have not flown on an actual Polaris seat…something surprising for such a United Airlines fan. Hopefully that day will come soon, either on a 777-300ER or a 767-300. Critics will argue that the seat is not industry-leading and they are correct. But the seat marks a notable improvement over the current offering while still maintaining current premium cabin density. On the whole, I think the Untied flyer benefits–especially the savvy one who wants to upgrade instead of pay full-fare.
It’s a as much as six across as AA 767 is eight across. But I quite liked the pmUA business class so I may be biased (I hate the feet coffins)
I ‘m seeing some proper-Polaris available out of Asia next week and I’m tempted to choose it over NH or BR. Lmk if you’d like a guest report.
Polaris seats are really well-designed. On the 777, it feels like a 1-2-1 arrangement, even though the person behind you is sort of next to you as well. It’s impressive how they combine privacy and density. I was a big fan of the seat when I tried it on a transcon, and I thought it was way more comfortable than Delta’s reverse herringbone seat (A330 edition). Could use more storage space, but at least the little cubby is more than they used to offer.