United debuts 'new' first-class seat with 2 evolutionary upgrades

There's a new first-class recliner coming to the pointy end of many United Airlines jets.

On Wednesday, the Chicago-based carrier debuted a next-generation domestic first-class seat that boasts a few improvements over the existing product.

Specifically, the new seats feature a Qi wireless charging pad just underneath the armrest in the center console.

This will allow you to simply place your latest-generation smartphone on the pad to recharge your battery. Qi wireless chargers are an additional power option on top of the seat's standard universal AC outlet and fast-charging USB-C port.

Personally, I'm not a big fan of Qi chargers on airplanes. As it stands, wireless charging technology is finicky even when you have your phone lying stationary on your desk. Add in all the wear and tear from repeated use on a plane flying (and sometimes bouncing) 500 miles per hour through the sky, and you're likely better off packing a real, wired charger. (Plus, wired charging is usually faster than Qi charging pads, too.)

The other upgrade that United is introducing is a new pie-shaped privacy divider between seats. This 11-inch by 19-inch divider should help boost your sense of personal space — something that's traditionally been lacking in domestic first-class products.

Unfortunately, this privacy divider is fixed in place, so it cannot be lowered if you're traveling with a companion.

United expects to debut this seat on its first Boeing 737, registered N73259, later this month, and it'll start rolling out more broadly later this summer.

The airline will install the seat on a total of 200 domestic planes by 2026, including on the standard and MAX versions of the Boeing 737, as well as the soon-to-fly Airbus A321neo.

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"As we evolve the onboard experience, we're upending old industry norms and anticipating future needs to accommodate the new ways people live and travel," Mark Muren, managing director of identity, product and loyalty, said in a statement.

However, aside from the two aforementioned upgrades, the new first-class seats are essentially the same as the ones that United debuted earlier this year on the retrofitted Airbus A319.

Even the new A319 seats are simply a small evolution from the current product first introduced in 2015. They feature minor updates such as small privacy wings on the side of each seat, a larger tray table and 13-inch entertainment screens with Bluetooth connectivity.

This version of the refreshed first-class seat will be rolled out to more than 200 Boeing 737, Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft by 2025.

These new and retrofitted products are part of United's big "Next" campaign.

Back in 2021, the carrier unveiled a massive retrofit project alongside its largest-ever aircraft order for a whopping 270 narrow-body jets; all were branded under a so-called United Next campaign designed to direct the company through its post-pandemic development.

To coincide with the United Next kickoff, the airline debuted a new domestic cabin experience that includes seatback TVs, larger overhead bins, and faster and more reliable Wi-Fi, among other upgrades.

While factory-fresh planes (namely the Boeing 737 MAX 8 and new Boeing 737 MAX 9) already come installed with the new signature domestic interiors, United has its work cut out for it: retrofitting its existing domestic fleet with the new signature interior.

Now, with the introduction of these new first-class products, we're getting a first look at what exactly that new signature interior looks like.

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