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It’s Going to Take up to 7 Years to Repaint United's Entire Fleet

April 24, 2019
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2 min read
ua-livery
It’s Going to Take up to 7 Years to Repaint United's Entire Fleet
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United's new extra-blue livery is officially official — yes, for the second time. After a leaked image prompted United Airlines to unveil its brand-new design ahead of schedule last night, CEO Oscar Munoz and hundreds of other employees gathered at a Chicago O'Hare hangar to show off the first repainted plane earlier Wednesday.

As expected — well, confirmed, even — United's ditching the familiar gold, instead opting to deck out the fleet entirely in shades of blue. A thin blue "swoop" will be used across all aircraft types, replacing a similar element found on current 787 Dreamliners and 737 MAX planes.

The all-caps United text remains on both the port and starboard sides, but it's far larger, lower and more prominent here. The globe tail is also getting a tweak, with gold accents being removed there, and the engines are also highlighted with a bright coat of blue.

So far, only one aircraft sports the new paint job — N37267, a Boeing 737-800. That plane will make its way to Los Angeles (LAX) Wednesday night before participating in an air-to-air photo shoot later this week. It's expected to re-enter service next week, so at least some passengers will fly on a plane with the new design very soon.

As for the rest of the fleet, United's still working through its repainting plans, but expects the process to take between five and seven years — the current gold livery could continue flying through 2026. And that makes sense, considering that the airline currently operates a fleet of nearly 800 planes, not including regional jets. New additions will come out of the factory with the new colors, too, with the exception of aircraft that are set to be delivered over the next few weeks.

All photos by the author

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  • 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.
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  • $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.
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