United Now Has Economy Seats That Transform Into A Couch For More Comfortable International Travel

United Airlines has announced the United Relax RowSM: a set of United Economy seats that can transform into a couch, creating a more comfortable option for customers traveling in the United Economy cabin on long-haul flights. United is the first North American airline to offer this kind of seating option and holds North American exclusivity on the design.

This new, dedicated row of three seats is outfitted with individually adjustable leg rests that fold up at a 90-degree angle to create a more room to sleep, stretch out or watch a movie. The United Relax Row is ideal for families traveling with small children, solo travelers and couples who want the value of United Economy but with a little extra comfort. Customers traveling in United Relax Row will receive additional amenities for their flight including a custom-fitted mattress pad, a specially sized plush blanket, two additional pillows, as well as a plush toy and Children's Travel Kit for families.

The United Relax Row is expected to launch in 2027, and the airline plans to offer it on more than 200 Boeing 787 and 777 widebody aircraft by 2030. The seats will be located between United Economy and United Premium Plus® and United will offer up to 12 United Relax Row sections on each plane.

"As a leading premium airline, we're committed to delivering new, industry-leading experiences for all of our customers – and the United Relax Row is the perfect example of that. Customers traveling in United Economy on long-haul flights deserve an option for more space and comfort, and this is one way we can deliver that for them," said Andrew Nocella, United's Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. "United is the only North American airline offering a product like the United Relax Row and is one of the many reasons why we're continuing to win brand loyal customers."

The United Relax Row is just the latest way United is making travel easier for families:

Free family seating: United is the first and only airline to offer a dynamic seat map that allows children under 12 to be seated next to an adult in their party for free at time of booking. And if needed, United will automatically move families to preferred seats to keep them seat together.

Kids' meals onboard: Children can enjoy breakfast and lunch/dinner menus on select United flights where complimentary meals are served. Parents can pre-order their children's meal selections, like french toast, chicken fingers and grilled cheese, in the United app or United.com.

Family-friendly inflight entertainment: United has a curated section of inflight entertainment just for families, including favorites like Bluey, Paw Patrol, Zootopia 2, Paddington in Peru and more. Children's Travel Kit: Created in collaboration with Sesame Street, United's Children Travel Kit offers interactive activities to make the travel experience fun for kids and stress-free for parents, including an Oscar the Grouch activity book, slide puzzle and sensory calming strip.

About United

At United, Good Leads The Way. With U.S. hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., United operates the most comprehensive global route network among North American carriers, and is now the largest airline in the world as measured by available seat miles. For more about how to join the United team, please visit www.united.com/careers and more information about the company is at www.united.com.

Which Aircraft Offers More Spacious Economy Seats?

TPG reader Chris sent me a message on Facebook to ask about airline seating:
“Which has more room in economy: the Airbus A380 or the Boeing 777-300ER?”
As airlines have worked to improve profit margins over the years, the average space allotted to each seat has steadily declined. New and more compact designs (like reconfigurable bench seating and rear-facing seats) are helping carriers maximize capacity at the expense of comfort, leaving passengers (and their elected representatives) to scrap for every inch.
It helps to know what to expect before you fly, so you can select a seat that suits your needs (or at least prepare yourself for a tight ride). To that end, it’s good to be familiar with the idiosyncracies of different aircraft. However, seat configurations vary not only from one model to another, but also on the same model operated by different airlines.
For example, consider the Boeing 777-300ER (also known as the 77W). American Airlines operates the 77W with 220 seats in economy in a 3-4-3 configuration, giving each seat 17 inches of width and 31 inches of pitch. Meanwhile, Cathay Pacific operates two different versions of the 77W, both of which use a more spacious 3-3-3 configuration in economy, offering 18.5 inches of width and 32 inches of pitch.
The story is the same aboard the A380. Lufthansa operates two versions of the A380-800, with economy seats that offer 18.2 inches of width and 31 inches of pitch. On the other hand, Korean Air’s configuration has seats that are slightly narrower at 18 inches wide, but offer substantially more legroom with a pitch of 33-34 inches. That extra space can make a big difference on a long-haul flight.

Korean Air offers more legroom in economy than Lufthansa aboard the A380.

If you’re looking for help choosing a seat, check out SeatGuru. This site offers detailed layouts of just about every aircraft operated by major airlines, including seat information like pitch, width and amenities. SeatGuru also identifies potential problems like limited recline or storage space, and offers reports from other flyers that can give you some additional insight. It’s free to use, but note that the information provided isn’t 100% accurate, especially on newer aircraft; you might want to cross-check with the airline if you have a lot riding on your seat selection.
Of course, the best laid plans often go awry, so it also helps to have a strategy for dealing with unexpected circumstances like a broken seat or a last-minute equipment change. As airlines continue to pack more and more passengers into economy cabins, knowing where to sit (and where not to sit) on a given aircraft can make your flight experience much more enjoyable.
For more on your best options in economy and premium economy, check out these posts:

• Best Airlines to Fly Coach Domestically
• Best Airlines to Fly Premium Economy Domestically
• Top Airlines to Fly International Economy Class
• Top Airlines to Fly International Premium Economy

If you have any other questions, please tweet me @thepointsguy, message me on Facebook or send me an email at info@thepointsguy.com.

Read more: http://thepointsguy.com/2016/04/aircraft-space-economy-seats/#ixzz466SY4Q00