United just took delivery of its first premium-heavy Boeing 787-9 with the new long-haul interior—and internal cabin photos shared with employees are giving the first real look at what “United Elevated” actually means.
The images show Polaris Studio, a self-serve snack bar, and a rebalanced 222-seat layout that shifts space from coach to premium cabins ahead of the jet’s March debut and long-haul rollout.
This is the first plane with their new long-haul interior concept, marketed as ‘United Elevated’, with 222 seats: 64 business class – including 8 ‘Polaris Studio’ business-plus seats – 35 premium economy and 123 coach.
United hosts a media day this month, and will host a “United Elevated” event in Los Angeles on March 24, 2026, tied to the debut of the Elevated 787 product. The plane will fly domestically before moving to San Francisco-based long haul – initially operating to London Heathrow and Singapore.
United published a series of photos internally of the new aircraft. Here are some new shots of the business cabin:
Here’s the self-service snack bar:
This is the premium economy seat. I will look forward to seeing it in person, but it doesn’t appear nearly as padded as I’d like to see it for ultra-long haul:
The seatback screens in coach look plenty large, though!
Overall the industrial design of the new American Airlines Boeing 787-9 looks more attractive to me. What do you think of the aesthetics?
United expects 3 more ‘elevated’ Boeing 787-9s over the next month and a half, with 30 total delivered through 2027. All of their future 787 deliveries will come with this new interior, including Polaris Studio suites. This plane adds 16 more business class seats compared to the current configuration and 14 more premium economy seats, while losing seats in coach. Unfortunately, there is no announced plan to retrofit any of their existing aircraft.
The plane also comes delivered with StarLink internet, which is great because broadly speaking regional jets and then mainline domestic planes have seen retrofits first.
(HT: JonNYC for the photos.)
Wow. Half the space is J. 2/3 of the aircraft is ‘premium’ if you add the recliners. Impressive.
PE chairs look like beach chairs from the 80s. Terrible aesthetics. But lots of premium space and a good LOPA.
just as a reminder that the FAA has not given an STC for Starlink on the 787 although it is expected. The planes might come w/ Starlink hardware.
Huge screens in coach are actually a negative. Your eyes can only absorb so much when you are so close to the seat in front of you.
and the snack bar in business class makes no sense with soft drinks. They will not be cold and I sure don’t want to use an ice bucket that other customers have touched. Plus, they cannot allow alcoholic beverages to be self serve. a flight attendant should be there to serve all beverages other than bottled room temperature water (which is gross)
@Peter — Speaking of LOPA, you know what’d be super-cool? Bringing back 8-abreast in economy, 2-4-2 (I know, I know… more of an Airbus a330/340 thing, but still), because, that’d make just two middles, in-total. Like, if we’re going for luxury, even in-back, that’s one way to do it.