United Airlines to Add 250+ Planes in the Next Two Years

‍CHICAGO — United Airlines (UA) announced on March 24 a major fleet expansion and cabin upgrade program, expecting to take delivery of more than 250 new aircraft by April 2028, the most by any airline in a two-year period.

The announcement builds on the carrier's "United Next" strategy launched in 2021, during which United added 22 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, 237 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, and 67 Airbus A321neo, while increasing premium seats per North American departure by 40%.

The Coastliner

United introduced the "Coastliner," a new A321neo subfleet featuring a custom livery and an all-new nose-to-tail interior. The aircraft will operate exclusively between United's West Coast hubs at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), serving over 10,000 passengers daily on those routes. 

The Coastliner features 20 all-aisle access lie-flat United Polaris seats, 12 United Premium Plus seats, and 129 Economy seats, marking the first time lie-flat business class and Polaris lounge access have been offered on a domestic narrowbody. The first Coastliner is expected to enter service this summer, with 40 of the 50 on order flying by early 2028.

A321XLR and CRJ450

The A321XLR will replace Boeing 757s on existing international routes to smaller cities in Europe and South America, offering 32 premium seats, 16 more than the aircraft it replaces. Like the Coastliner, it features all-aisle access lie-flat United Polaris suites and a rear Economy snack bar, with service beginning later this summer.

On the regional side, United is introducing the CRJ450, a redesigned variant of the CRJ200 to be operated by SkyWest Airlines (OO). The 41-seat aircraft removes overhead bins in the United First cabin in favor of a large luggage closet, a first for a U.S. commercial airline.

Economy bins are sized to accommodate rollaboard bags, uncommon on regional jets of this size. The CRJ450 will connect smaller cities to United's hubs in Denver (DEN) and Chicago O'Hare (ORD) starting this fall.

787-9 Elevated

United's new Boeing 787-9 with the Elevated interior will begin international service on April 22, with the inaugural flight from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Singapore Changi Airport (SIN). 

The aircraft carries 99 premium seats and debuts the United Polaris Studio, a lie-flat suite 25% larger than the standard Polaris seat, featuring a 27-inch 4K OLED screen, the largest among U.S. carriers, privacy doors, wireless charging, and Bluetooth connectivity. United plans to have 33 of these aircraft flying by 2028.