United has unveiled the United Elevated interior for new Boeing 787-9 aircraft that will include two new Business Class suites, the greatest number of total premium seats in United’s fleet, an Ossetra caviar amuse-bouche service, Starlink connectivity and even larger 4K OLED seatback screens.
Follow Aeronews on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Bluesky and TikTok
United expects to take delivery of the first 787-9 Dreamliner with the Elevated interior before the end of 2025, with the first international passenger flights planned in 2026 from San Francisco to Singapore and San Francisco to London.
The airline’s new United Polaris Studio suites are positioned in the first row of each Business Class section and total 8 lie-flat, all-aisle-access seats that are 25% larger than standard United Polaris with privacy doors, an extra ottoman seat for companions, exclusive entrée options, an Ossetra caviar amuse-bouche service, new amenity kits with luxury skincare offerings, wireless charging, Bluetooth connectivity, and a huge 27-inch, 4K OLED seatback screen – the largest among U.S. carriers.
Standard United Polaris seats also get upgraded to suites with the addition of sliding doors and larger, 19-inch 4K OLED screens and all customers flying United Polaris business class have access to the airline’s 6 award-winning United Polaris lounges across the system.
The reimagined Elevated interior on the 787-9 includes a nose-to-tail transformation – refined finishes and a fresher, brighter and warmer feel throughout – with something for everyone: 99 total premium seats – the highest percentage among U.S. carriers, United Premium Plus seats with privacy dividers and wireless charging, and Economy cabin with Bluetooth connectivity and the largest Economy cabin seatback screens in the world.
United has invested more than $150 million in total food and beverage improvements this year alone, and planes with the United Elevated interior will include access to a new, onboard grab-and-go snack bar for United Polaris business class customers that offers treats from brands like Garretts, Community, and Joe & Seph’s, as well as United Polaris Studio-specific options like an amuse-bouche of Ossetra caviar paired with Champagne Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé. The airline also will introduce mid-flight meal options that include a regionally influenced tapas service. And customers in Economy will see expanded dining options with three entrée choices, new desserts, and an appetizer course.
United is the largest carrier across the Atlantic and Pacific and flies to 147 total international destinations. All of United’s future 787 deliveries will get United Polaris Studio suites and Elevated interiors, and the airline expects about 30 of these planes to join its fleet by 2027.
Aircraft with the Elevated interior will also be among the first United widebody planes to have free Starlink connectivity for United MileagePlus members. The service is ideal for international travel as it delivers fast, reliable internet access around the world, including over oceans, polar regions, and other remote locations previously unreachable by traditional cell or Wi-Fi signals.
The first deliveries of 787-9 aircraft with the Elevated interior will include:
8 United Polaris Business Class Studio suites
Two rows across two sections, 1-2-1 configuration
56 United Polaris Business Class suites
14 rows, across two sections, in a 1-2-1 configuration
Customers can choose between seats that face the window or center of the aircraft (ideal for individual travelers) and seats where all the suites face the aisle (perfect for those flying together)
35 United Premium Plus seats, the most in United’s fleet
5 rows in a 2-3-2 configuration
33 United Economy Plus seats and 90 United Economy seats
15 total rows in a 3-3-3 configuration
The carrier’s 787-9s currently have 48 United Polaris seats, 21 United Premium Plus seats, 39 United Economy Plus seats and 149 United Economy seats.
