I went inside United's brand-new Boeing 737 Max 8 with all new seat-back television screens and saw how the airline is revolutionizing air travel

Thomas PalliniJul 5, 2021, 18:59 IST

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior.Thomas Pallini/Insider

United Airlines is modernizing its fleet by installing seat-back entertainment screens on all narrow-body Boeing and Airbus planes.
More than 2,800 selections of movies, television shows, games, music, and podcasts will be available.
Larger overhead bins, mood lighting, in-seat power, and in-flight WiFi will also be installed.

United Airlines received its first Boeing 737 Max 8 on Monday, the first of a massive 270-aircraft order announced on Tuesday.

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

The Chicago-based airline is spending billions to revitalize its fleet with Boeing and Airbus narrow-body jets, as well as update the interiors of its existing jets with a signature look consistent across all aircraft.

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

The Chicago-based airline is spending billions to revitalize its fleet with Boeing and Airbus narrow-body jets, as well as update the interiors of its existing jets with a signature look consistent across all aircraft.

By 2025, all Boeing and Airbus narrow-body aircraft in United's fleet will have seat-back screens, in-seat power, and larger overhead bins for bags.

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

It's part of the "United Next" program that will guide the airline through the decade, with additional enhancements in the airport and customer service experience.

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

I went onboard United's first Boeing 737 Max with the new interior. Take a look inside.

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

United's new order includes 200 Boeing 737 Max aircraft, including 50 737 Max 8s, 150 737 Max 10s, and 70 Airbus A321neos. This Max 8 had just been flown in from Boeing Field in Washington two days prior.

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

United's new order includes 200 Boeing 737 Max aircraft, including 50 737 Max 8s, 150 737 Max 10s, and 70 Airbus A321neos. This Max 8 had just been flown in from Boeing Field in Washington two days prior.

Welcoming passengers is the United nameplate. It's a nice luxurious touch to the aircraft that more and more airlines are adopting.

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

First class is comprised of 16 recliner seats arranged in the typical 2-2 configuration.

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

Seats in this cabin have 37 inches pitch and 21 inches of width which is pretty standard for United.

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

But the difference on this plane is that seat is equipped with new 13-inch high-definition entertainment screens.

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

Screens are touch-screen but a tethered remote is included at every seat.

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

The in-flight entertainment suite complements in-flight WiFi, which United claims will be "the industry's fastest available."

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

Despite the new screens, tray tables will still include device holders for those that prefer to use a mobile device for entertainment.

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

Next comes the economy cabin, split between 54 extra-legroom "EconomyPlus" seats and 96 standard economy seats. EconomyPlus seats offer 34 inches of pitch and 17.3 inches of width.

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

Next comes the economy cabin, split between 54 extra-legroom "EconomyPlus" seats and 96 standard economy seats. EconomyPlus seats offer 34 inches of pitch and 17.3 inches of width.

Economy seats offer 30 inches of pitch and a similar 17.3 inches of width.

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

And just like in first class, every seat features seat-back screens.

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

More than 2,800 selections of movies, television shows, music, podcasts, and games are available.

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

A unique feature of United's system is that flyers can pair Bluetooth headphones, such as AirPods, to the seat.

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

The move better allows United to compete with Delta, which has had seat-back screens on most of its aircraft for years while United moved to get rid of them.

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

But seat-back screens are back on United and here to stay. American Airlines will be the only member of the US "big three" international carriers without seat-back screens on narrow-body aircraft.

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

But seat-back screens are back on United and here to stay. American Airlines will be the only member of the US "big three" international carriers without seat-back screens on narrow-body aircraft.

All seats will also have in-seat power through 110v AC power outlets under the seat and USB charging ports on the screens.

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

Larger overhead bins are another staple of the new interior with United claiming there will be enough room for every passenger to bring at least one bag.

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

If that claim holds up in reality, that would mean passengers can stop rushing to get to the gate early and crowd the gate area before boarding.

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

More United aircraft will also have mood lighting, which adjusts based on the time of day to create a soothing ambiance.

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

Mood lighting gives the aircraft a futuristic feel and can help relax passengers by syncing with circadian rhythms, especially on overnight flights.

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

The new interiors will come standard on every new United Boeing 737 Max and Airbus A321neo arrival but existing aircraft will be retrofitted through 2025.

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

Around 66% of existing aircraft are expected to be retrofitted by the end of 2023.

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

But not everything inside United's aircraft will change, however, as the cockpits will remain the same. The Boeing 737 Max cockpits feature updated avionics systems and display screens.

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

But not everything inside United's aircraft will change, however, as the cockpits will remain the same. The Boeing 737 Max cockpits feature updated avionics systems and display screens.

Ideally, all of United's Boeing 737 pilots can fly the 737 Next Generation and 737 Max aircraft interchangeably.

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

But all pilots now receive additional training before they can fly the Max, including simulator and classroom sessions.

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

Powering United's Boeing 737 Max fleet is the CFM International LEAP-1B engine offering great fuel efficiency and enabling longer flights.

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

Each engine offers 28,000 pounds of thrust that enable speeds greater than 500 miles per hour.

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

Every new aircraft will also come painted in United's new "Evo Blue" livery that favors blue, especially on the aircraft tail.

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

The first Boeing 737 Max 8 flights will operate on July 15 between Newark to Houston, Texas, and Houston-Las Vegas. More cities will be added to the aircraft's route network as more arrive.

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

The first Boeing 737 Max 8 flights will operate on July 15 between Newark to Houston, Texas, and Houston-Las Vegas. More cities will be added to the aircraft's route network as more arrive.

If one thing is certain, it's that the view from the window seat will never be the same.

Inside United Airlines' newest aircraft and interior. Thomas Pallini/Insider

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I went inside United's brand-new Boeing 737 Max 8 with all new seat-back television screens and saw how the airline is revolutionizing air travel

United Airlines received its first Boeing 737 Max 8 on Monday, the first of a massive 270-aircraft order announced on Tuesday.

The Chicago-based airline is spending billions to revitalize its fleet with Boeing and Airbus narrow-body jets, as well as update the interiors of its existing jets with a signature look consistent across all aircraft.

By 2025, all Boeing and Airbus narrow-body aircraft in United's fleet will have seat-back screens, in-seat power, and larger overhead bins for bags.

It's part of the "United Next" program that will guide the airline through the decade, with additional enhancements in the airport and customer service experience.

I went onboard United's first Boeing 737 Max with the new interior. Take a look inside.

United's new order includes 200 Boeing 737 Max aircraft, including 50 737 Max 8s, 150 737 Max 10s, and 70 Airbus A321neos. This Max 8 had just been flown in from Boeing Field in Washington two days prior.

Welcoming passengers is the United nameplate. It's a nice luxurious touch to the aircraft that more and more airlines are adopting.

First class is comprised of 16 recliner seats arranged in the typical 2-2 configuration.

Seats in this cabin have 37 inches pitch and 21 inches of width which is pretty standard for United.

But the difference on this plane is that seat is equipped with new 13-inch high-definition entertainment screens.

Screens are touch-screen but a tethered remote is included at every seat.

The in-flight entertainment suite complements in-flight WiFi, which United claims will be "the industry's fastest available."

Despite the new screens, tray tables will still include device holders for those that prefer to use a mobile device for entertainment.

Next comes the economy cabin, split between 54 extra-legroom "EconomyPlus" seats and 96 standard economy seats. EconomyPlus seats offer 34 inches of pitch and 17.3 inches of width.

Economy seats offer 30 inches of pitch and a similar 17.3 inches of width.

And just like in first class, every seat features seat-back screens.

More than 2,800 selections of movies, television shows, music, podcasts, and games are available.

A unique feature of United's system is that flyers can pair Bluetooth headphones, such as AirPods, to the seat.

The move better allows United to compete with Delta, which has had seat-back screens on most of its aircraft for years while United moved to get rid of them.

But seat-back screens are back on United and here to stay. American Airlines will be the only member of the US "big three" international carriers without seat-back screens on narrow-body aircraft.

All seats will also have in-seat power through 110v AC power outlets under the seat and USB charging ports on the screens.

Larger overhead bins are another staple of the new interior with United claiming there will be enough room for every passenger to bring at least one bag.

If that claim holds up in reality, that would mean passengers can stop rushing to get to the gate early and crowd the gate area before boarding.

More United aircraft will also have mood lighting, which adjusts based on the time of day to create a soothing ambiance.

Mood lighting gives the aircraft a futuristic feel and can help relax passengers by syncing with circadian rhythms, especially on overnight flights.

The new interiors will come standard on every new United Boeing 737 Max and Airbus A321neo arrival but existing aircraft will be retrofitted through 2025.

Around 66% of existing aircraft are expected to be retrofitted by the end of 2023.

But not everything inside United's aircraft will change, however, as the cockpits will remain the same. The Boeing 737 Max cockpits feature updated avionics systems and display screens.

Ideally, all of United's Boeing 737 pilots can fly the 737 Next Generation and 737 Max aircraft interchangeably.

But all pilots now receive additional training before they can fly the Max, including simulator and classroom sessions.

Powering United's Boeing 737 Max fleet is the CFM International LEAP-1B engine offering great fuel efficiency and enabling longer flights.

Each engine offers 28,000 pounds of thrust that enable speeds greater than 500 miles per hour.

Every new aircraft will also come painted in United's new "Evo Blue" livery that favors blue, especially on the aircraft tail.

The first Boeing 737 Max 8 flights will operate on July 15 between Newark to Houston, Texas, and Houston-Las Vegas. More cities will be added to the aircraft's route network as more arrive.

If one thing is certain, it's that the view from the window seat will never be the same.