Most airlines these days are spiffing up their ‘front of the plane’ accommodations and adding premium seats, but United is taking a slightly different tack with a new lie-flat economy section it’s calling ‘Relax Couch.’
While it’s not a totally new concept—in fact, it relies on a patent held by Air New Zealand for its SkyCouch product—it’s a first for U.S. airlines, which have previously only had lie-flat of any sort in their most premium cabins.
United will be adding the new seating starting next year, installing it over 200 of its 787s and 777s. There will be between 9 and 12 rows available on the planes. The price of the add-on hasn’t been set, but will be higher per person for single passengers than for duos.
The ‘relax row’ seats have special footrests that rise to meet the seats and form a flat surface; they come with a mattress pad and, for kids, a stuffed animal. United says its deal with Air New Zealand gives it exclusive rights to the design for the U.S.
Presumably, if a ‘relax row’ isn’t sold by a certain point before a flight, the seats will be sold as regular seating.
