United Airlines has debuted a new first class seat for use on domestic aircraft that features a number of upgrades including wireless mobile phone charging, seatback screens, and additional privacy.
New First Class Seat With Wireless Charging On United Airlines
As counterintuitive as it may be, United calls its most premium lie-flat longhaul product business class and its domestic premium product first class. The next-generation first class seat has now been unveiled and will feature:
- three types of charging outlets
- vegan leather upholstery
- larger seatback screens and tray tables
- Bluetooth connectivity
- privacy screens
- Italian quartzite cocktail tables
- ergonomist-designed cushion
This month the seat will debut on a 737 aircraft and by 2026 United excepted to add this seat to 200 domestic planes, including:
- 737 NGs
- A321neos
- 737 MAXs
The seat was designed in cooperation with the venerable design firm Priestman Goode. Let’s look a bit more in detail about the new seats:
- Charge Multiple Devices at Once
- Passengers can quickly charge their multiple electronic devices at once with three types of charging docks in each seat – wireless, AC household-style outlet and USB-C
- The wireless charger is located in a compartment of the armrest to give the passenger line-of-sight to notifications and free their hands and tray table
- Larger, User-Friendly Seatback Entertainment
- 13-inch, high-definition screens are Bluetooth capable and include a remote for those unable to reach the touch screen
- More Space for Work and Relaxation
- A larger, 18 x 8.5 inch tray table features a built-in tablet holder and enough space for most standard laptops
- With authentic Italian quartzite cocktail tables and bottle holders between each seat, passengers don’t have to balance gadgets, drinks and snacks on one tray table
- More Private, Adjustable Seat
- In the large seats upholstered with vegan leather, passengers will experience more privacy with a 11 x 19-inch divider between neighbors, winged headrests and tray tables that deploy from outer armrests to reduce passenger contact
- The seat features a 5-inch recline range, adjustable aisle arm rest that lowers completely and an ergonomist-designed seat cushion that sits 1-inch lower to accommodate a wider variety of heights
CONCLUSION
While still a far cry from a lie-flat bed, this new Untied Airlines first class seat sounds like an upgrade both in terms of comfort but particularly in terms of functionality. I look forward to trying it soon.
Matt,
Do you know if the 11 x 19-inch divider between neighbors will be able to be lowered for travelling couples?
It is not – sort of like on the 757-200 (the old B/E Diamond seats)
no sir, it doesn’t lower, its fixed in place. (I designed that center console and seat back)
I like the seat though would prefer if the divider screen was adjustable up or down. If I’m traveling with someone it’s nice not to have that, however, maybe I’m in the minority.
Now, if only they’d start investing in their soft product!
But what is the width of the seat? and the pitch ? space is very important.
While not as absurd as the Delta head wings, these faux privacy elements for basic 2×2 domestic first class add little privacy and if anything detract from the experience. Use the weight, money for other value add like more padding.
That’s a very reasonable point.
These seats actually already have more padding than the latest first class seat from Delta and AA
How can you make that statement when the aircraft with these specific seat enhancements hasn’t even entered service yet? It won’t enter revenue service until later this month.
United has some pretty rock hard seats on their current 737-9s and their 737-8s already in service with brand new seats. I’ve even flown on their recently reconfigured A319 and that aircraft looks spectacular inside but the seats are still rock hard.
Actually, according to TPG, United’s A319NEXT first class seats have more padding than Delta’s A321NEO seat.
We will see.
Funny you mention that, initially the wings on the seat back were much larger, then United requested they be made much smaller after it was noticed the shoulders of very tall individuals would hit them.
I agree, don’t love the “privacy” shield or head wings, feels more closed in then sitting in coach. Also, not a huge fan of wireless charging, my phone get super hot when I do that (newer iPhone) so prefer just to plug in, plus it’s a “teether” of sorts during turbulence or when I drop the phone. . LOL
First? It looks just like Turkish Airlines short haul business class.
Just an outdated naming convention. Indeed, it is properly classified as business class, but the “first class” name just lingers.
On domestic routes, without lounge access, and especially on flights without meals, I’d say the correct classification should be Premium Economy.
Don’t many call it Domestic First?
Have the airlines increased the total wattage for these devices or is it like it is today if everyone plugs in their laptops to charge time increases?
Vegan leather? Let’s be honest…..its Naugahyde/vinyl. So based on your indication that it will be put onto 737NGs/Max, and A321NEOs, I’m assuming that currently retrofitted/UnitedNext 737s and the A319/A320 fleet will keep the cheaper version of this seat and not get this upgraded version?
I’ll clarify this, but I believe you’re correct. However, I also recall that the new A319 retrofit first class seats featured “wings.”
The “wings” on these look quite similar but I’m curious if they’ll eventually add (or remove) the privacy dividers to the new A319 seats to make all narrowbody F seats the same.
This is 100% waste of money. The soft product is the area that needs work (and also cheaper & quicker to implement). Preboarding, Better food, better & consistent PDB, at least hourly service from FA- all would all create a much better F experience.
I’ve never experienced anything vegan that is any good. I can’t imagine that this leather will be an improvement. This is more woke weirdness from the bum CEO.
Why can’t the airlines just put padding back into these first class seats? I’f I am not going to lie flat on a 3+ hr domestic flight I would at least like my seat to provide a little more actual cushion that a coach seat. Which none of these new slimline “first class” seats have.
These seats actually have more padding than the latest first class seat from Delta and AA
How do you know?
The Points Guy compared the latest seats from UA and DL
You seem to be very obsessed with American and Delta which is strange. No where in the article The Points Guy didn’t yesterday did they ever mention Delta or do a comparison to Delta. More importantly no where in the article does it mention seat padding or seat comfortability. This is now the second time you’ve been caught in a lie.
No USB-A, I think United’s been a bit optimistic about USB-C adoption.
“Vegan leather” lol aka vinyl seats you find in an old F-150 work truck
So not true. Some of the vegan leather these days in BMW, Audi, Mercedes is better than real leather. And it’s the new trend to not skin animals. It is massively improved from vinyl or the original vegan leather.
It’s not leather if it’s not from a dead cow. You can call it something else, and I won’t even argue if it’s better. Just like vegan burger is not a real beef burger.
A Buffalo wing isn’t from a Buffalo
A gravy boat isn’t a boat
Hot dogs aren’t made from dogs
Peanuts aren’t nuts
It’s just a name.
Wireless charging is great. Excellent and necessary. I personally don’t care one bit about the IFE. The programming won’t be changed regularly enough, and non-streaming TV/Video is really an outdated concept. Dependable, fast, affordable wi-fi is so much more important.
What’s in a picture…but to me the seat looks hard, stiff, uncomfortable. What is vegan leather? Why do they have to mask what it really is behind some creative name?
Looks can be deceiving, especially since the pictures shown are computer-generated renderings. There is a “beta” version of this seat found in their A319s, which just lack the privacy divider and wireless charging, and those actually have more padding than the latest first class eats found on Delta and AA
Should be called PREMIUM ECONOMY. Only WestJet properly names their short haul front cabin
Also, what would have been a nice enhancement would be led rests, a 40 inch pitch, and 7 inches of recline
Agree on the increase in pitch needed. The picture looks like about 34″ or so.
“vegan leather ” … a bit of a non-sequitar.
Vegan: “… containing no food or other products derived from animals”
Leather: “… a material made from the skin of an animal by tanning or a similar process”
A quick Wikipedia search shows that vegan leather is one of many terms for artificial leather. This is probably not the vinyl from your old work truck, but it may contain polyurethane.
From a marketing standpoint vegan leather is more palatable than “pleather” except for with the perennially outraged that have a built in detector for anything that might sound “woke”. It’s not a big deal guys.
The bigger problem to me is that immovable divider that looks like it will be more of an annoyance than anything useful. Maybe if they called it the “safe space maker” more of you would also be bothered by it
The seats are made fromof 100% gen-u-wine naugas.
That divider seems less about privacy and more about not having to touch elbows and arms with your seatmate.