United Airlines is looking to improve its fleet in the coming years with its multi-year fleet revitalization program. The airline is looking to redesign the interiors of their planes. Once finished, passengers can expect an upgraded cabin design that will include seat-back in-flight entertainment screens, in-seat power for each seat, and stylish LED lighting.
Toby Enqvist who works as United Airlines’ chief customer officer said that “We’re going to have one spot for each bag for each customer”. Enqvist calls the new interiors for the plane to be a “game-changer”. He said that “You don’t have to line up 45 minutes before the flight because everybody’s going to have a spot”.
Aside from helping passengers have a space for their carry-on bags, this can prevent departure delays since people may skip checking in their luggage. And given the manpower trouble that the airline industry is currently facing, this will allow United’s staff to focus on the flight and not worry about minor bag issues.
United’s chief executive officer said that “It’s just going to create a different environment onboard the airplane”. He added that it is going to free customers, flight attendants, and gate agents.
Retrofitted by 2025
The 270 additional planes from Boeing and Airbus will have standard interiors. The new interiors will be retrofitted by 2025. 66% of their fleet is expected to be ready by the end of 2023.
Aside from getting 270 new planes, United is also going to retire around 200 of its older planes. These are 50-seater planes that are known for their smaller cabins and overhead bins. It is a usual complaint that bags get displaced during the flight.
United’s chief commercial officer Andrew Nocella said that “The 50 seaters will continue to have a role but we will no longer fly small aircraft to large cities”.
Aside from having larger space for carry-on bags and luggage, the fleet revitalization program will also offer a more fuel-efficient batch of planes for United Airlines.
