United Introduces Economy Plus Seats With Empty Middle Seats
United Airlines is introducing a new Economy Plus option, an empty middle seat. And the airline is hoping that you’re willing to pay extra for it.
The new seating option will debut on United’s Airbus A321XLR aircraft. Instead of selling all six seats in the row, United will sell only the window and aisle seats while keeping both middle seats empty. The unused middle-seat spaces will feature custom tables, giving passengers more personal space along with room for drinks and other small items.
Passengers in these seats will still receive the additional legroom that comes with Economy Plus. However, United has not yet revealed how much the new option will cost or exactly when it will go on sale.
The concept is similar to the blocked-middle-seat business-class configuration used by many European airlines, although United is positioning this as an Economy Plus upgrade rather than a premium-cabin product.
The airline’s Airbus A321XLR aircraft will also include lie-flat Polaris suites, Premium Plus seating, larger entertainment screens, Bluetooth connectivity, larger overhead bins and a self-service snack bar in the economy cabin.
The big question about the empty middle seat will be pricing, since the airline is giving up two sellable seats in the row. Would you pay extra for this option?
