Here’s why United Airlines just added over 350,000 seats to its schedule
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.
United Airlines just added more than a quarter-million seats to its schedule, and the reason why might surprise you.
No, the Chicago-based airline isn’t taking delivery of new planes, nor is it cramming new seats into a super-dense configuration. Instead, United’s adding back seats it removed from its regional jets late last year.
Specifically, the carrier’s Embraer 175 regional jet was reconfigured into a 70-seat arrangement to satisfy a “scope clause” with its pilots last year. Traditionally, mainline pilots who fly the carrier’s larger jets don’t want United outsourcing flying to cheaper, regional affiliates. That was especially true during the height of the pandemic when United and its competitors were looking to both cut costs and trim capacity to meet demand.
Want more airline-specific news? Sign up for TPG’s free new biweekly Aviation newsletter!
To satisfy this “scope clause,” United was forced to reconfigure its Embraer 175 regional jets with six fewer seats, from a 76- to a 70-seat configuration.
But now that United is reactivating many parked planes and flying a domestic schedule nearly 70% of 2019 levels, the carrier can add the seats back to its E175s.
When United removed the seats, it told TPG that these jets could revert back to the larger configuration “when the letter of agreement [with ALPA] ends in October 2022 or when pilot’s monthly hours are no longer reduced through the letter of agreement.”
Now that the mainline pilots are flying again at near pre-pandemic levels, the carrier can add back the six seats. In a statement, a carrier spokesperson shared that,
Starting April 30, our United Express partners began re-installing the six seats on Embraer 175 aircraft that had been temporarily removed last year in accordance with the contractual agreement reached between United and ALPA. The first 76-seat configured E175 aircraft began flying on May 1 and we expect the entire fleet to be completed in early June.
Capt. Todd Insler, pilot union leader for Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), told TPG that “United pilots are pleased our groundbreaking recovery agreement was successful and has positioned us to where we can not only return to our 2019 numbers, but continue to grow.”
Despite adding six more seats, there won’t be any passenger-facing implications. United confirmed to TPG in January that legroom and seat pitch weren’t changing during the reconfiguration process.
The 76-seat Embraer 175s sport 12 first-class recliners, 16 extra-legroom Economy Plus seats and 48 standard coach seats.
United Express affiliates Mesa Airlines, Republic Airways and SkyWest Airlines operate 196 Embraer 175s (E175), according to Cirium fleet data.
This isn’t the first time United purposely removed seats from a regional aircraft. In 2019, United unveiled the CRJ550, a re-certified variant of the Bombardier CRJ700.
Due to caps on the number of large regional jets — typically those with 65 to 76 seats — in its pilot contracts, United took the CRJ700 airframe and outfitted it with 50 seats in a two-cabin configuration, with a walk-up bar for first-class passengers and two large onboard closets to store full-sized carry-on bags.
Featured photo by Zach Griff/The Points Guy
Sign-up Successful!
Welcome to The Points Guy!
Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Offer ends 8/3/2022.
With Status Boost™, earn 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, up to two times per year getting you closer to Medallion Status. Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels, 2X Miles at restaurants and at U.S. supermarkets and earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases. Terms Apply.
- Limited Time Offer: Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Offer ends 8/3/2022.
- Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Authorized Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Enjoy an exclusive rate of $39 per person per visit to enter the Delta Sky Club® for you and up to two guests when traveling on a Delta flight.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.