United to offer blocked middle seat option in Economy Plus
The woes of airplane middle seats are soon to be eradicated for some United Airlines passengers.
The Chicago-based carrier announced on Tuesday a new type of Economy Plus fare that features a fully blocked off middle seat, giving passengers extra elbow room and a shared table between them.
United said it will start selling the new seat option later this year, exclusively on its new Airbus A321XLR aircraft.
"On each XLR, one row will have large, custom-designed tables stretching from armrest to armrest across the open middle seats, giving customers sitting in the window or aisle seat extra space to stretch out on longer international flights," United said in a press release. "The table is permanently fixed, with a soft leather-like covering, and two indentations for cups."
The airline noted that "the extra space is in addition to the three inches of additional legroom already offered in Economy Plus on the XLR."
United says it is currently the only U.S. airline offering the blocked-off middle seat option.
The middle seat block notably keeps the XLR aircraft within the 150-passenger capacity, which would require a minimum of just four flight attendants as opposed to five, as required under federal regulations.
The seat-block option comes four months after United unveiled a new Relax Row option, a row of three economy seats with individually adjustable leg rests that fold up at a 90-degree angle to create a lie-flat sleeping area.
The Relax Row will be outfitted on all of United Boeing 787 and 777 widebody aircraft, starting with 90 planes at launch in 2027.
Andrew Nocella, United's executive vice president and chief commercial officer, said in a statement included in Tuesday's press release, "We're investing nose-to-tail across our fleet and giving customers choice and value in every cabin."
"The XLR is our newest aircraft and not only offers all-aisle access lie-flat seats in United Polaris but now also includes seats in Economy Plus with extra leg and elbow room," Nocella said. "Our customers are going to love all these new options."
