United Airlines is to sell a new row of Economy Plus seating with a guaranteed open middle seat on all 50 of its incoming Airbus A321XLR aircraft, with the empty seat converted into a large fixed table shared by the passengers either side.
The option goes on sale later this year and United expects to be the only US airline to offer it. For business travellers whose company policy stops short of a business class fare on longer sectors, it promises meaningful extra working and stretching space, though the airline has yet to confirm what it will cost.
A table where the middle seat used to be
On each A321XLR, one row will feature custom-designed tables stretching from armrest to armrest across the open middle seats. The table is permanently fixed, finished with a soft leather-like covering and has two indentations for cups. United says the design gives window and aisle passengers extra room to stretch out on longer international flights.
That elbow room comes on top of the three inches of additional legroom already offered in Economy Plus on the aircraft. It matters on this jet in particular. The A321XLR is Airbus’s longest-range single-aisle aircraft, designed to open long, thinner routes, including transatlantic services, that would not fill a widebody. Passengers choosing the new row could be sitting in it for seven hours or more.
United has confirmed the seats will appear across its entire order of 50 A321XLRs and says it is exploring the option on other aircraft types in future. Full details, including pricing, will be published before sales open later this year.
Part of a wider economy cabin push
The move follows the recently announced United Relax Row, multiple rows of seats on the carrier’s Boeing 787 and Boeing 777 widebody aircraft that transform into a couch, available from early 2027.
“We’re investing nose-to-tail across our fleet and giving customers choice and value in every cabin,” said Andrew Nocella, United’s Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. “The XLR is our newest aircraft and not only offers all-aisle access lie-flat seats in United Polaris but now also includes seats in Economy Plus with extra leg and elbow room. Our customers are going to love all these new options.”
The official announcement frames the row as the latest in a series of economy cabin changes across the fleet.
What it means for UK travellers
United has not yet said which routes its A321XLRs will fly, but the type is widely expected to serve transatlantic sectors from hubs such as Newark Liberty, the airline’s main gateway for UK and European services. If the new row appears on UK routes, it would give travellers a genuine intermediate choice between a standard economy seat and a business class fare several times the price.
For SMEs already weighing up whether a cabin upgrade is worth the spend, the decision will come down to pricing, which United has promised to reveal before the seats go on sale later this year.
