United A321XLRs Getting New Polaris Seats, Premium Plus

The new ultra long range and fuel efficient evolution of the A321 was the reason why United Airlines ordered 50 of them. We still have a bit of a wait since the plane is expected to enter service in 2024, but United will likely only start to take delivery of the plane in 25 years.

I recently provided an update on American Airlines' new business class plans, so I wanted to take an updated look at what we should expect from United Airlines.

What to expect from United’s A321XLR cabins

Let's talk about United's route plans for A321XLRs.

United will primarily fly A321XLRs across the North Atlantic and to Latin America, so you can expect the planes to largely be on “long and thin” routes, like Newark to Bogota and Edinburgh
United will not only use A321XLRs to replace Boeing 757-200s, but also to expand to some markets where the economics didn’t previously make sense, given that the A321XLR is more fuel efficient and longer range than the 757

What should we expect from the product on board? This is what we know for certain.

United will introduce an all new Polaris business class seat for the A321XLR, since the current Polaris seat can’t be installed on narrow body aircraft
United will be installing Premium Plus premium economy on the A321XLR, which you’ll otherwise only find on wide body aircraft

United Premium Plus on the Boeing 767-300

There is nothing surprising here. The economics of long haul service make it a good idea for airlines to use a premium layout for their A321XLRs. The seat counts on these planes are expected to be closer to 150 than 200.

This hasn't been officially confirmed, but there are hints.

United’s A321XLR business class product will likely feature doors
United’s A321XLRs will likely be very premium, with somewhere around 20 Polaris business class seats and 12 Premium Plus premium economy seats; of course this could change, since we’re still a few years off from United getting these planes

I envision UA 321XLR config as being:20 Polaris seats
12 Premium Plus seats

American has similar plans for its A321XLRs

The first major US carrier to order the A321XLR is American Airlines, who has ordered 50 of the aircraft, which will be delivered in four years. American is expected to get 22 of these planes in the year 2025.

American plans to install a business class product with fully flat seats and direct aisle access. American retired its entire Boeing 757 and 767 fleet during the Pandemic, so there is more of a need for these planes than United does.

Many long haul markets that American can't currently serve are due to the fact that American is the smallest long haul aircraft.

What kind of a business class product can we expect?

How much innovation can we expect in business class? Some of the most impressive products we currently see on A321s are interesting to look at.

French all-business class airline La Compagnie has new aircraft. The seats are not cutting edge but the layout is nice. These seats don't take up a lot of space and are very efficient for the airline.

The staggered seats in business class are available on all of the airlines. The single seats are good and that is a good product. These seats have been found on wide body planes for a long time.

The first A321s to feature direct aisle access and doors from every premium seat are the ones flown by JetBlue. In many ways, these seats are a step backwards, as they are quite old and not up to date.

The STELIA OPERA seat is a custom made one for the A321XLR. The seat has a door. I think it is likely that we will see this seat on American or United.

Bottom line

In a few years, United Airlines is expected to take delivery of the A321XLR aircraft, which will feature a great inflight product. New Polaris business class seats with direct aisle access and doors, as well as a Premium Plus premium economy cabin, are expected to be on the A321XLR.

The cabins of some of the A321XLRs should represent a new era for narrow body luxury.