For the last segment of my quick trip to Versailles, I flew United’s Boeing 737 MAX 8 first class on the 2hr20min flight from Washington (IAD) to Miami (MIA). Believe it or not, this was my first flight on a jet with the new “United Next” interiors.
United is currently investing heavily to become more premium, and this includes introducing new cabins (including seat back TVs) throughout the entire narrow body, mainline fleet. I understand that United flyers are probably used to it at this point, but given that I’m typically an American flyer, this all seems very high tech and premium to me. 😉
Anyway, in this post I want to share some impressions of United’s new narrow body aircraft interiors and the soft product, and then soon I’ll have a full review of the flight. I’ve gotta say, I found this to be a pleasant way to fly!
United’s 737 MAX first class seats are comfortable
United’s 737 MAX 8 first class cabin consists of 16 seats, spread across four rows, in a 2-2 configuration. Purely in terms of space and dimensions, there’s nothing too remarkable about the cabin. I mean, all of the “big three” US carriers have very similar seat pitch and width in domestic first class, so it’s not an area where any airline stands out.
However, I found the seats to mostly be pretty well designed, with nice finishes and solid padding. The one exception is when it comes to storing the tray tables. Long story short, they just don’t align correctly when you go to store them, and at least half the cabin struggled with using them.
It’s also interesting how fast tech evolves. These seats have AC and USB-A power outlets, when you’d really think that you’d be installing USB-C outlets nowadays.
It’s worth noting that United is also taking delivery of A321neos, and those feature slightly updated versions of these seats, including USB-C outlets and wireless charging.
United’s 737 MAX first class tech is awesome!
Of course the biggest change with United’s new interiors is the introduction of beautiful, crisp 13″ seat back TVs at every first class seat (economy has 10″ displays). United has done a stellar job with entertainment on these jets.
The screens are high definition, the programming is endless, and there’s even bluetooth audio.
I’ve gotta admit, I’m not a huge TV guy, and I’m certainly not one of the passengers who uses these screens the most. That being said, there’s simply no denying that this is so much better of an experience than you’ll get on American. Like, if nothing else, it’s nice to be able to keep an eye on the map feature, and see where you are.
Arguably what I’m even more excited about with United’s new cabins is that the airline is finally installing Viasat Wi-Fi. Historically, United has had the slowest Wi-Fi of the “big three” carriers. Not only is United currently installing Viasat Wi-Fi on its narrow body jets, but soon the airline plans to introduce Starlink Wi-Fi.
This is an absolute game changer, since the airline hasn’t historically offered competitive Wi-Fi. The pricing is also reasonable, and is just $8 for the entire flight. That’s much cheaper than you’ll find on most American flights (while Delta offers free Wi-Fi on most planes for SkyMiles members).
United’s domestic first class soft product is quite good
United isn’t exactly known for its gourmet food, so what was my experience there? Well, I appreciate that United has a large pre-order selection you can choose from, with some options that wouldn’t be available if ordered inflight. This is something American is also good at, while Delta doesn’t have as many pre-order exclusive options.
I decided to order the vegetarian chili polenta cake, which tasted better than it looked (that’s not saying a whole lot, admittedly). The side salad was better than your typical iceberg lettuce with a cherry tomato, and there was a warm bread roll, plus the banana pudding for Magnolia Bakery (which seems to have a cult following, but I’m not sure why?).
Honestly, the food was okay, and in line with what I’d expect on American or Delta, so I didn’t feel positively or negatively about that.
Here’s what I absolutely love, though — United has illy cold brew, making United the only one of the “big three” US carriers to serve cold brew. As a coffee lover, having access to cold brew on a plane is absolutely fantastic, and I’m thrilled to see this. It’s certainly much better (and less disgusting) than drip airplane coffee.
Even beyond that, I have to give United credit for its interesting drink selection. For example, the airline has canned espresso martinis on domestic flights. Like I said, I usually fly American, which has the least inventive drink list of any airline, so it’s nice to have options.
So yeah, while the food is whatever, the domestic drink selection gets high marks from me.
Bottom line
I’m delighted to see the way that United is investing in its fleet, as part of the “United Next” project. While there’s nothing earth-shattering about the seats as such, the tech is excellent, with large, crisp monitors that have extensive entertainment and bluetooth audio. I’m also happy to see Viasat Wi-Fi increasingly becoming available on United, at a reasonable cost no less.
The soft product was decent enough as well. I appreciated the large pre-order selection, even if the quality isn’t amazing. What I liked most was the drinks, particularly the cold brew and canned cocktails. This is a pleasant way to fly domestically, and now I’m curious to fly the carrier’s A321neo…
If you’ve flown one of United’s new narrow body jets, what was your experience like?
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