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Here's Your First Look at United's Wild New 46-Polaris-Seat 767-300ER

March 15, 2019
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3 min read
United 767-300 High-J Polaris Review ZH
Here's Your First Look at United's Wild New 46-Polaris-Seat 767-300ER
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Forty-six lie-flat business-class seats would make for a sizable cabin on any plane, including the behemoth A380. But United doesn't operate the Airbus superjumbo, and you'll now find the airline's longest Polaris cabin on its smallest wide-body airliner, the Boeing 767-300ER.

Referred to as United's "high-J" configuration (with "J" representing the most common fare code for business class), the airline's latest 767-300ER sports a whopping 16 rows of business class, in a single extra-long cabin.

As American Airlines is removing business seats from some planes, United's adding a ton — this 767 adds 16 seats over the Polaris-equipped -300ER United's been flying since 2017, though only 45 can be sold on transatlantic flights, given that 1A is always reserved as a pilot crew rest.

The airline added a 22-seat Premium Plus cabin as well, with a 2-2-2 configuration, with the additional rows of premium coming at the cost of economy seats.

You'll find Economy Plus just behind the Premium Plus cabin, with 47 seats in a 2-3-2 configuration there.

Then, there's a small section of regular coach as well, with just 52 seats, also with a 2-3-2 arrangement.

Four of the economy seats are reserved as a flight attendant crew rest, too — 43A and B, and 44A and B, pictured with the curtain below — so they may not be available to passengers on certain flights.

Traditionally, fewer seats means less revenue for the airline, but United's counting on increased premium demand on its transatlantic flights.

Just looking at the next few weeks, it's not uncommon to see United charging $8,228 for a round-trip Polaris ticket, compared with just $601 for basic economy — a nearly 1,400 percent premium — on the exact same flights. While taxes and fees affect the economics a bit, assuming customers are willing to pay that much for a transatlantic ticket, this is a bet that's bound to pay off. Stay tuned for the full TPG review, coming tomorrow.

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  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

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  • 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.