What happened
United Airlines plans to introduce a new subfleet of Airbus A321neos branded as 'Coastliners' for premium transcontinental flights. The first aircraft are expected to fly this summer, with 40 delivered by early 2028. The configuration includes 161 seats: 20 Polaris business class seats (1-1), 12 Premium Plus (2-2), and 129 Economy. A key service change is that passengers flying Polaris on these flights will gain access to United Polaris Lounges, a first for the carrier on transcon routes. The aircraft will feature a new livery paying homage to coastal destinations. This move replaces aging Boeing 757-200s and frees up wide-body aircraft for long-haul routes