United Airlines ordered Boeing 737 Max 10 aircraft in 2018 with plans to equip them with lie-flat premium seating for transcontinental routes. The planes were originally expected to enter service in 2020, but certification has been substantially delayed due to Boeing’s need to redesign anti-icing systems and increased regulatory scrutiny following manufacturing and safety challenges.
CEO Scott Kirby acknowledged the company now has hundreds of premium seats in storage that cannot be used on other aircraft models. United has not yet disclosed the specific cabin layout it will use on the Max 10s or which routes they will serve. The airline’s original plans for the aircraft were developed before it introduced premium economy as a service category.
To address the delays, United took alternative action by retrofitting Airbus A321neo narrow-body planes with premium seating, including new Polaris suites and premium economy options, branding them as “Coastliners” for cross-country flights. However, the different dimensions and specifications between the Boeing and Airbus aircraft mean United must make separate decisions about cabin configurations for each plane type.
Boeing recently obtained approval for the smaller 737 Max 7, with Southwest Airlines anticipating deployment in the first half of 2027. United expects to receive its first 737 Max 10 aircraft in summer 2027 and has 167 of the planes on order according to recent financial filings. The company now must determine how to effectively utilize the specialized seating inventory once the aircraft become available.
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