United Airlines will be taking delivery of new widebody aircraft in 2026. These are the Boeing 787-9, of which the airline already has 47 examples. Of the future 141 on order, one of them, N27997, will feature the standard interior, while the rest will come with a new seating layout and cabin design, with what United calls the “Elevate” interior. These will feature updated seats in all three classes (Polaris, Premium Plus, and economy), along with the most premium-heavy seating layout of any US-registered widebody, and will enter service in early 2026.

United had previously accumulated a total order of 71 Boeing 787s, consisting of 12 787-8s, 38 787-9s, and 21 787-10s, the combination of large orders from both United Airlines and Continental Airlines. In 2022, United ordered 100 additional Boeing 787s with 100 options, and exercised 50 options in 2023. While the variant breakdown was not specified, United has been exclusively taking delivery of the 787-9s, and this is the sole variant that United will take delivery of in the near future.

Future United Boeing 787-9 Deliveries

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United’s current Boeing 787-9 aircraft are coded as “78P” and feature 48 Polaris seats, 21 Premium Plus seats, and 188 economy seats (including 39 Economy Plus seats). There are 47 aircraft in this fleet, with one more set to arrive before the year’s end. These aircraft feature the Safran Optima for Polaris and the Collins MiQ for Premium Plus. The first 25 787-9s feature the Collins Pinnacle seats in economy, while later deliveries use the Collins Aspire. The ship numbers for these aircraft are 0950 to 0997 (labeled as 3950 to 3997 on United’s website and app).

After ship number 0997 is delivered, future Boeing 787-9s will be numbered as 11##, starting with 1101. The first aircraft in this series will be coded as “78L” and they will feature a new premium-heavy layout consisting of 64 Polaris seats, 35 Premium Plus seats, and 123 economy seats. The economy and Premium Plus will be updated variants of the Collins Aspire and Collins MiQ currently in use, while Polaris will now use the Adient Ascent, a suite with doors, along with the introduction of a new front-row “business class plus” product.

United Airlines has stated that all future Boeing 787 deliveries will feature the new Elevate interior, although it has not clarified whether all future 787-9s will be in the “78L” configuration. Additionally, United has not stated whether any existing aircraft will be reconfigured with the new seats, although if it does have such intentions, it will likely be the 787-8, 787-9, 787-10, and 777-300ER fleets that would receive them. Simple Flying has reached out to United Airlines for clarification, but a representative was not immediately available for comment.

Inside The New Boeing 787-9s “78L” Subfleet

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Throughout the entire aircraft, United is introducing new seat covers and finishes in all cabins. In economy, the seats are the same Collins Aspire that are on all international 777-200ERs, 787-10s, and 787-9s that were delivered in 2020 and afterwards. However, United is now offering a larger 4K OLED screen that measures 13 inches (33.02 centimeters), which is the largest economy screen in the United States. Additionally, the screens have Bluetooth capability, and the seats come with six power outlets per row.

Premium Plus uses the same Collins MiQ seat model found on all United international widebodies; however, the seat covers and seatbacks have been updated. Additionally, the seats now feature a 16-inch (40.64 centimeter) 4K OLED screen with Bluetooth capability, along with wireless charging. Premium Plus will also come with privacy wings (a first for United) that feature built-in reading lights, along with dedicated bottle and headset holders.

Polaris is the cabin with the biggest update. United will install the Adient Ascent with doors, and is configuring the seat reverse herringbone in window seats and center seats in the first eight rows, while the next eight rows will be configured herringbone in the center section. The suites feature 19-inch (48.26 centimeter) 4K OLED screens, and United is installing a new business class plus product in rows one and nine, named “Polaris Studio” with even larger screens, more space, and an ottoman, along with an upgraded soft product.

The New “78L” Configuration

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The new “78L” layout is the most premium aircraft in any US airline’s fleet. It features 64 Polaris suites (including eight Polaris Studios), whereas United’s Boeing 777-300ERs feature 60 Polaris seats. American Airlines’ Boeing 777-300ERs feature 52 business class seats and eight first class seats, fewer than the number of Polaris suites on the United 78Ls. Delta’s most premium aircraft, the A350-900 in the 35H layout, only has 40 Delta One suites. Note, however, that American has plans to reconfigure its 777-300ERs with 70 Flagship Suites.

These aircraft will feature only 222 seats, as opposed to 257 seats on the Dreamliners in the 78P subfleet. United has announced that the 78L’s first routes will be from San Francisco to Singapore and London-Heathrow, reflecting the two primary uses for the aircraft. With such a huge Polaris cabin, the 78Ls can be used to replace United’s aging 767-300ERs in the 76L subfleet, which feature 167 seats, including 46 Polaris seats, and they will serve destinations like London that have huge premium demand.

Singapore is also a city that has an incredibly high demand for premium seats, but perhaps more importantly, the aircraft’s capacity of 222 seats improves its range. San Francisco to Singapore is United’s second-longest route (after Houston to Sydney), and these flights can run into payload restrictions when headwinds are high. Not only will the premium layout ensure that United can carry full passenger loads year-round, possibly with some cargo, but it’ll also allow for new ultra-long-haul routes to be launched, such as the previously canceled route to Singapore from Los Angeles.

A Deeper Look At How The 78Ls Fit In United’s Network

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It’s unclear how many aircraft United intends to configure in the 78L subfleet. United has had tremendous success with its 76L subfleet, to the point that the majority of its Boeing 767-300ERs are configured in this premium layout. However, these planes are decades old and fully paid off, which makes it far easier to justify installing massive business-class cabins than with a brand-new airplane. As such, only some of the 141 incoming 787s will likely feature the 78L configuration.

As previously mentioned, the 78Ls will launch on the San Francisco to Singapore route, and United will likely deploy them from Houston to Sydney as well. Furthermore, United previously served Singapore from Los Angeles, but canceled this route due to performance issues with the 787-9 and instead added a second flight from San Francisco. Not only do these newer 787s have fewer seats, but they also feature a slight bump in Maximum Takeoff Weight compared to earlier 787s, thereby making the return of this flight more feasible.

Expect the 78Ls to take over some of United’s longest 787 flights, and with its massive business class cabin, this will certainly become the carrier’s workhorse for London flights, seeing as how every United hub except for Guam has a 787 base. However, the 76L subfleet also flies transatlantic flights to smaller European cities. While the carrier could likely deploy the 78L to Switzerland, given its joint venture with SWISS, other cities like Dubrovnik may be more difficult, given that the 78L represents a significant jump in capacity in all cabins. It remains to be seen what United’s strategy is for thinner European routes when replacing the 76L.

More Premium Seats In The United States

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On average, United has the largest business class cabins on its widebodies compared to the competition: Delta Air Lines and American Airlines. Delta is in the process of reconfiguring Airbus A350-900s to its premium “35H” subfleet; however, these aircraft still only feature 40 Delta One suites. This is fewer than the Polaris seats that United installs on its Boeing 777-200ERs (50), Boeing 777-300ERs (60), Boeing 787-9s (48 or 64), and 787-10s (44).

American Airlines has also traditionally been more conservative than United with its business class cabins. It’s 777-200ERs feature 37 seats, while its 777-300ERs currently come with eight first class seats and 52 business class seats. Its 787-8s have fewer business class seats than United’s (20 versus 28), and its 787-9s only have 30. However, American is taking delivery of new 787-9s in a more premium layout, featuring 51 Flagship Suites and 32 premium economy seats, for a total of 244 seats.

Even with its new “789P” aircraft, American is being more conservative than United with the size of its business class cabins. But across the board, US legacy carriers are increasing the size of their premium cabins, and United, already the leader in this regard, is again coming out ahead with its 78L subfleet. However, American Airlines will soon begin reconfiguring its 777-300ERs with 70 Flagship Suites and 44 premium economy seats, although the 777-300ER is a significantly larger aircraft.

Rundown Of The United 78L

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United is taking delivery of new Boeing 787-9s, and later this year, they will begin arriving with new interiors along with a premium heavy layout, for entry into service in early 2026. These aircraft are the most premium widebodies in the US, and this will not only improve the economics of United’s longest flights, but will also enable United to replace its aging Boeing 767-300ER “76L” subfleet.

But while the 78L’s layout is ideal for flights to large business hubs such as London, it may be difficult for the carrier to justify sending its most premium aircraft to smaller 76L destinations, such as Nice or Marrakesh, given the 55-seat jump in capacity. Given that United’s extensive international network may be its biggest strength, it remains to be seen whether United will send these new Dreamliners to these cities or take a new direction once the Boeing 767s are out.