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The Closest Thing You'll Get to Premium Economy on United

Sept. 11, 2017
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3 min read
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The Closest Thing You'll Get to Premium Economy on United
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American Airlines recently began flying its new premium economy product, and Delta's gearing up to launch a new cabin of its own next month, called Premium Select. That leaves United as the sole legacy carrier to not offer a cabin between coach and biz — and even though we've heard rumblings of something on the horizon, officially there's no indication that will change.

However, I noticed something interesting ahead of my trip on United's inaugural flight with the retrofitted 767-300ER over the weekend: two rows of Economy Plus at the far back of the cabin.

What's even more peculiar about these seats is that just four seats occupy the same space that six do on the other side of the plane — implying that there's even more legroom than you'll typically find in Economy Plus.

And that is indeed the case — these Economy Plus seats are special, given that they're often reserved as crew rests for the flight attendants. That's the purpose they served on my 8-hour return from London to Newark, but on our sub-6-hour outbound across the Atlantic, all four seats were available for purchase — and, better yet, all elite members could select them for free.

After seeing these special seats, I'd even consider paying the extra $193 one-way to lock one in, especially if there was availability in row 40, given that those seats offer even more room. And while all four seats do have leg rests, passengers can't use the slide-out blackout curtain, unfortunately — it's only available for the crew.

While United offers similar crew rest seats on its other 767s, these are the nicest I've seen yet — and they're the first Economy Plus seats I've seen located at the far back of the plane. (Note: starboard seats in rows 40 and 41 do not offer extra legroom.)

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Even if you don't manage to score a seat in row 40 (or 41), you'll likely find economy to be more appealing on the retrofitted 767-300ER — since the cabin width limits economy seating to 2-3-2, the airline is able to offer a seat width of up to 18.5 inches, which is a tremendous improvement over the brand-new 777-300ER.

In addition to the four crew rest seats outlined above, the new 767 offers 46 Economy Seats at the front of the cabin — most have 34 inches of pitch, but center (DEF) seats in row 21 have a tremendous 43 inches, as you'll see in a follow-up post later this week.

Unfortunately there's only one aircraft flying with these new seats so far, and it won't be scheduled to operate any specific flight until 1-2 days before departure — so, for now, you won't be able to plan far ahead if you really want to travel on this particular plane.

See these posts for more on United's new 767-300ER:

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  • Intro Offer

    As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

    Excellent to Good

Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.