What happened
One Mile at a Time reports that United Airlines has hundreds of unused lie-flat business class seats in storage, ordered for 167 Boeing 737 MAX 10s whose first delivery is now expected in 2027. United had planned a premium transcontinental subfleet of that type, with certification aimed at a 2020 entry into service.
United switched to Airbus A321neos and will fit some as three-cabin Coastliners with lie-flat business class on those transcon routes. Because seats are ordered apart from the jets, the lie-flats were already bought on the original MAX 10 timeline. CEO Scott Kirby said those stored seats will not fit other United airplanes, and the carrier has not chosen a plan for them. United now expects the MAX 10s to operate high-demand domestic routes in a standard cabin.
Those Boeing jets will not add extra lie-flat seats. Premium transcontinental flying is moving to the Coastliner A321neos, and One Mile at a Time notes that a second lie-flat narrowbody subfleet would be less efficient than expanding that Airbus product. Watch whether United finds a use for the stored lie-flats or keeps the MAX 10s in a regular cabin.
- Numbers
- 167 aircraft: 737 MAX 10s on order
- Takeaway
- There is nothing to book; watch whether United finds a use for the stored lie-flat seats or deploys MAX 10s only in a regular cabin.