Analysing United’s new seats, cabins and products — the A321XLR, Coastliner premium A321neo, CRJ-450, Relax Row — and 250 new planes by 2028

Unpacking the seats, cabins and interiors details — and implications — of United’s big “Elevated” passenger experience reveal

By John Walton 13 min read
An inward-facing herringbone suite on an A321neo. It is in dark greys, blues and stone.

From launching a new inward-facing herringbone seat on A321neo subfleets to a positive revamp for one of the least comfortable small regional jets, plus adapting the Air New Zealand Skycouch for economy, United pumped out a lot of news this week at its “Elevated” event at its Los Angeles hub.

There’s a lot to analyse here, including some landmarks for the passenger experience — and the way airlines deliver it:

  • new longhaul A321XLR cabins, similar but not identical to…
  • new midhaul transcontinental A321neo Coastliner cabins
  • revamped CRJ-200s, now the CRJ-450 with first class
  • adopting Air NZ’s Skycouch as the “Relax Row” on 777s and 787s
  • a big-picture fleet update that points to future industry demand

But in the wider context, there’s much to consider when fitting all the pieces — seats, airplanes, and more — together.

The Up Front AnalysisUnitedAirbusA321neoA321XLRBombardier/Mitsubishi CRJEconomy SkycouchElevate
John Walton

Editor in chief of The Up Front, with two decades of experience reporting across the global aviation industry, specialising in business and first class, seats, cabins and the passenger experience.