Chicago-based United Airlines will soon take delivery of the first of its new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners that will be configured with the newly designed Polaris seats. The aircraft, which at the time of writing was scheduled to fly from Charleston to Washington this evening (as per FlightAware), is expected to be deployed on routes from San Francisco to Singapore and London.

The elevated aircraft interior will offer a higher standard for international travel, with the airline’s renowned Polaris product now offering new Business Class suites and the largest seatback screens currently on offer in the United States. The new screens are 25% bigger than what is currently offered on other Polaris aircraft.

An Elevated Onboard Experience

Credit: United Airlines

The nose-to-tail transformation for the aircraft will see the premium heavy configuration offer a total of 64 United Polaris seats, with the Business Class cabin being fitted with privacy doors, an extra ottoman to dine with companions, and 27-inch screens. Additional amenities include luxury skincare, caviar tastings, and wine pairing.

Those further back in the cabin will see updated United Premium Plus seats, which include wireless charging, the largest seatback screens globally, and seats with privacy dividers. The newly delivered aircraft carries registration N21102 and is expected to be scheduled for commercial flights soon, with United suggesting it will be based out of San Francisco on its Singapore and London routes. Andrew Nocella, EVP and Chief Commercial Officer at United, explained how excited the airline was for the newly redesigned aircraft back in March last year:

N21102 Delivery Flight

Credit: Shutterstock

The newly delivered aircraft, bearing registration N21102 (serial number 68648), was set to fly from Charleston (CHS) this evening as UA 3895 departing from CHS at 18:00 and arriving at Washington Dulles (IAD) at 19:34 as suggested by FlightAware. At the time of writing, it remains unclear if the service has departed. Flightradar24, or the usual source, shows no flight currently scheduled.

For the Boeing 787-9, it has undertaken a number of final test flights in recent days, having taken off and landed from Charleston on January 26, January 30, February 3, and February 7.

Star Alliance partner United Airlines hopes to lure in the premium traveler with its newly designed cabins, with additional StarLink connectivity, the largest seatback screens, and the largest number of premium seats across the entire United fleet (of which its mainline extends to more than 1,000 aircraft).

Related

25% Larger: United Airlines Launches New Polaris Studios On Boeing 787s

Boeing should deliver the first 787-9s with the new interiors to United Airlines in 2025, with a planned service entry date of sometime in 2026.

99 Premium Seats

Credit: Shutterstock

United Airlines’ reimagined interior for the Boeing 787-9 will offer a total of 99 premium seats, which include both Polaris and Premium Plus. This marks the highest percentage when compared to other U.S Carriers. For the Chicago-based airline, its latest delivery cements the wider improvements being made by the carrier’s onboard experience.

Already, the carrier has invested $150 million to improve its food and beverage service, which includes the onboard grab-and-go snack bar, which is offered for United Polaris business class customers. In addition to the Untied Polaris Studios, a new amuse-bouche will be offered with Ossetra caviar, which is paired with Champagne from Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé.

While this marks the first of the newly configured 787s, United expects a total of 30 of these elevated aircraft to gradually join its fleet across 2026 and 2027. The overall configuration is as below as per the airline’s website:

For current United Boeing 787-9s, these are currently configured with a total of 48 United Polaris, 21 United Premium Plus, 39 United Economy Plus, and 149 United Economy seats.