A321XLR ECONOMY PLUS TO FEATURE OPEN MIDDLE SEAT ROW WITH CUSTOM TABLES

United Airlines has announced a new Economy Plus seating option for its entire order of 50 Airbus A321XLR aircraft, in which one row per aircraft will feature open middle seats repurposed as a shared space equipped with large, permanently fixed custom tables. Each table stretches from armrest to armrest across the open middle seat, providing the window and aisle seat occupants with additional lateral space and a dedicated surface for work, dining or personal items on longer international flights. The table features a soft leather-like covering and two cup indentations. The additional elbow room is provided alongside the three inches of extra legroom already incorporated in Economy Plus across the A321XLR configuration. United says it expects to be the only US airline offering this seating option.

Andrew Nocella, United’s Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, said the airline was investing from nose to tail across its fleet and giving customers choice and value in every cabin. He described the A321XLR as United’s newest aircraft, offering not only all-aisle-access lie-flat seats in United Polaris but now also seats in Economy Plus with extra leg and elbow room, and said customers were going to love all the new options. The new Economy Plus product will go on sale later in 2026, with flights expected to begin shortly after availability opens.

PART OF A BROADER A321XLR CABIN INVESTMENT

The open-middle Economy Plus announcement follows United’s recent introduction of the United Relax Row — multiple rows on Boeing 787 and 777 widebody aircraft on which seats transform into a flat couch surface, available in early 2027. Taken together, the two products represent a sustained United push to differentiate its cabin product across the economy category on both narrowbody and widebody aircraft, addressing a growing traveller appetite for economy-class comfort options that go beyond standard seat pitch increases.

The A321XLR itself is configured as United’s most premium narrowbody, carrying 32 premium seats — 16 more than the Boeing 757s it replaces — including a new all-aisle-access lie-flat United Polaris suite with a privacy door. Every seat across all cabins features a 4K OLED screen with Bluetooth connectivity, ranging from 19 inches in Polaris to 16 inches in United Premium Plus and 13 inches in United Economy. Overhead bins are sized for rollaboard bags throughout, and a snack bar is provided at the rear of the economy cabin. United plans to operate the A321XLR on domestic routes from later in 2026, with international service beginning in early 2027. The airline will operate five flight attendants on most transatlantic XLR flights, consistent with its current 757 practice.