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United Will Soon Fly a Huge 767 Biz Cabin From Chicago, Too

June 21, 2019
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2 min read
United 767-300 High-J Polaris Review ZH
United Will Soon Fly a Huge 767 Biz Cabin From Chicago, Too
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United Airlines operates what's arguably the most interesting Boeing 767-300 in the sky — the carrier's "high-J" configuration sports a whopping 46 business-class seats, arranged in a 1-1-1 configuration and spread between 18 rows. That's one massive Polaris cabin, especially for such a small wide-body plane.

The airline is currently working through the process of retrofitting 21 aircraft with this particular config, offering 46 biz seats, 22 Premium Plus seats (in a 2-2-2 arrangement), 47 Economy Plus seats and just 52 in regular coach. That's one premium-heavy plane!

Initially, this 46-biz-seater was primarily operating flights between Newark (EWR) and London Heathrow (LHR), but, per Routes Online, it'll begin serving the Chicago (ORD)-London market beginning on July 8 as well.

As of now, only the 9:15pm departure from Chicago, United 938, is scheduled to be flown with the retrofitted plane, operating as flight 959, with a 2:50pm London departure on the return. As United adds more high-J planes to the fleet, I imagine all three daily Chicago-London flights will eventually have the new arrangement, including United's far-superior Polaris seat.

I haven't come across any saver business-class awards on United's ORD-LHR flights, unfortunately, but paid fares are available starting at $2,950 round-trip, for select dates in August.

Newark flyers, meanwhile, should expect to find the high-J 767-300 operating four of the five daily London flights, also starting on July 8. Beginning on that date, all but the 8:30am Newark departure have the 46-seat Polaris cabin.

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With more than a dozen additional aircraft on the way, we'll see the high-J 767 pop up on more and more routes. While the 18-row cabin was a bit challenging for the crew to navigate, in my experience, having so many more business-class seats available should help boost your chances of an upgrade — and, perhaps at some point, finding a saver award.

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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)

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  • 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.