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)
Crazy to see an airline’s 787 have the same amount of economy seats as their A321Neo. Hopefully this means plenty of upgrades & award availability. Sad that in conjunction, they’ve all but killed partner redemptions.
@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.
Tim is such a downer.
Delta can’t innovate – they are mentally challenged – and whenever another airline (B6 or UA) comes out with a great product he’s the first to criticize.
Get a life bro! Delta really isn’t that cool.
Tim: “the economy screens are so big that they are actually too big” – please stop your whining about another airline beating Delta again. The lengths you go to to criticize other airlines are insane. Soon you’ll say the seats are too comfortable and the food is too good on another airline.
The economy screens are 13 inches, well within the optimal viewing size for economy – you’d need to be above 15 inches for this to be a concern. 13 inches is a standard laptop dude.
I think I prefer that AA layout better.
the not that
I think I prefer the AA layout better.
yes, Andy, 13 inches is too big to watch a movie at a much closer distance than I look at my laptop.
The point is not the size of the screen but the pitch of the seats.
how you and the ilk at Willis Tower feeling about that massive order book as airline stocks crater based on fear of collapsing demand and much higher fuel?
There is a reason why other airlines move much more cautiously and don’t need to cling to as much cash.
@Rusty – why? The AA layout in economy has barely any MCE and no lavs in the back. This seems like a much more reasonable layout all around.
@1990 – looks like someone is a fan of JAL’s sky wider… or SKY WIDER as they say.
It’s very dark. . .I agree I like the AA layout and balance better. Especially like AA’s PE seats better.
Tim – Look it up, the comfortable screen size for that distance is up to 15 inches – I checked it with the viewing calculators before I responded to you – clearly you didn’t. So now you are once again incorrect – again. Also when Delta puts 13 inch screens in their A350-1000s in a couple years, will you come back and admit you’re incorrect?
Also I don’t work at Willis Tower, but I imagine United is feeling pretty good about the incredible prices they got for 787s while Delta is paying a premium for their late ordered 787-10s.
@Peter — YESSS! JAL gets it.
what you think is a comfortable viewing angle is not what everyone thinks.
My TV in my house is far smaller than what other people – but not all – have in their house at the same distance.
and, no, I don’t think a 13 inch screen is the right size at 32 inch pitch.
The only reason that UA is getting great prices on Boeing products is because of the huge amount of compensation that Boeing had to give for the massive delays.
none of which changes that UA’s order book is a huge liability when market uncertainty and a potential demand downturn loom.
and DL will spend less on its 787s at the end of their life precisely because of the MRO deal which not only cuts DL’s costs for its own fleet of 787s and will provide revenue from other airlines.
UA and on other US airline has access to that flow of revenue and it is why DL’s fleet cost of ownership is one of the lowest among western carriers.
These are the original CGI marketing pictures, not of the actual airplane.
Ahh sorry United should have changed their interiors to fit Tim’s eye preferences – I for one have poor eyesight and love having a bigger screen so that text is bigger.
Also I can guarantee that DL is paying more per 787 than United is both due to the sub-scale order they made and the timing of the deals.
Also if UA was that concerned about all of this uncertainty then they could easily just use them for replacement. Also are you saying that if the Iran stuff blows over, that UA is better positioned for growth due to this order? Like the order swings both ways, its better in good times and worse in bad times.
Also if DL introduces 13 inch screens in their economy I expect you to post on all the airline blogs criticizing them right? I can count on you to be consistent can’t I Tim?
As an ISF certified video monitor calibrator I can say with certainty that Tim’s opinion about screen size is on the extreme edge of the bell curve.
Not sure I’ve ever seen a long haul wide body with less than 15 rows in coach; closest I’ve ever encountered was a Delta L1011-500 (N755DA) with 18 rows (21-39) of nine abreast seating (2-5-2) with 34″ of pitch in 1994. Those were the days…
@ Tim — OMG, this looks vastly superior to DL. Sorry about your jealousy.
@ Tim — Wait. I thought what the customer wants doesn’t matter as long as they pay a premium?
There’s a brief video of the new Polaris 2.0 posted on Instagram by @alliedriscoll_ . It looks very classy and elegant, quite a huge upgrade from their current offering.
Gene, Scott,
nowhere did I say that I speak for everyone.
I said **I** don’t want to look at a screen that large at the distance that is available at 31 inch pitch in economy which might be reduced by recline and/or angle of the screen.
and I am typing on a 13″ laptop right now.
It isn’t jealousy because I said it is too large for my taste on ANY airline at that pitch.
@Tim Dunn — “13 inches is too big”… that’s what she said.
For God’s sake. The snack bar is right beside the galley. If you need ice, just ask the flight attendant that’s right there IN the galley for ice or an alcoholic beverage. No different than today’s practice.
@ Tim — Well, its not about what YOU want.
Nowhere have I ever said in this conversation that I expect anyone to accommodate me.
as to the bar, why ask FAs to set up soft drinks that the vast majority of people are not going to drink at room temperature which means you have to bother an FA anyway?
Honestly, if these two things are all I can come up with, the plane will be a solid addition to UA’s fleet.
@Tim Dunn — I’m saying it, Tim. We should accommodate you! LOL.
@Tim Dunn. You have made another post all about you in the worst possible way. You noted did their homework as supported here on optimal screen size for distance. Delta will follow in time and it will be the best thing ever. Regarding the snack bar and drinks, it is an option. You can still get a drink at your seat and the walk through service is unchanged. Delta will follow. It will be incredible!