Overview
- United confirmed Tuesday that each of its 50 new Airbus A321XLRs will include one Economy Plus row where the middle seat is replaced by a permanently fixed shared table for the window and aisle passengers.
- The table has a soft leather-like surface and cup indentations, and the XLR Economy Plus already offers three additional inches of legroom compared with standard economy.
- United said the seats will go on sale later in 2026 and that it will provide pricing and more details before launch.
- The airline plans to staff five cabin crew on most transatlantic A321XLR flights, and analysts note that blocking middle seats can be used to keep an aircraft at a 150-seat count that ties to lower FAA flight-attendant thresholds.
- The design echoes European 'Eurobusiness' blocked-middle practices, follows United’s earlier Relax Row announcement, and will begin appearing on domestic routes this fall with international service by early 2027.