It seems that United Airlines is preparing to roll out a new Domestic First Class seat. Let us dive in.
The new seats feature vegan leather upholstery, 13-inch seatback screens with Bluetooth connectivity and 18-inch tray tables.
They feature an 11 x 19-inch divider between neighbours, with winged headrests and tray tables that deploy from outer armrests to reduce passenger contact. The seat features a 5-inch recline range, an adjustable aisle armrest that lowers completely and an ergonomist-designed seat cushion that sits 1 inch lower to accommodate a wider variety of heights.
The seat will also have a cocktail table and bottle holders.
This seat debuts on its first 737 this month, and customers will continue to see it roll out this summer. The airline expects the new seat to be on 200 domestic planes by 2026, including 737 NGs, A321neos and 737 MAXs.
The biggest highlight that United Airlines is talking up about this seat- is that it offers wireless charging at-seat. This is embedded into the armrest.
For those who do not have wireless charging coils on their devices, there are also AC-style outlets and USB-C charging.
PaxEx.Aero has identified that United Airlines is using a customised Safran Seating product, with the IFE services provided by Panasonic Avionics
Moving comfort forward
It’s good to see investment in the passenger experience – and more importantly, in visible hardware that can be touched and used by a passenger.
There appears to be a good blend of ideas here – with privacy wings, larger IFE screens as well as the space for a Domestic First Cabin.
As for the Wireless charging – for those who use it, it’s helpful (and in some situations, it’s easier than digging out a cable and finding a USB port to connect to). It would have been helpful if United Airlines mention how much wattage both the USB-C and Wireless charging pad delivers.
That’s important who those who hope they will be able to fast-charge a device.
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