United Airlines will introduce its Boeing 787‑9 Dreamliner with the Elevated interior on four new long‑haul routes from its Houston hub this fall.
The aircraft, already operating on San Francisco‑Singapore and San Francisco‑London, features United’s latest Polaris business‑class suites with sliding privacy doors and eight ultra‑luxury Polaris Studio suites.
Beginning October 24, the new Dreamliners will serve Houston to São Paulo (GRU), Tokyo Narita (NRT) and Sydney (SYD). Service to London Heathrow (LHR) will commence on January 5.
The cabin layout emphasizes premium seating, offering 99 seats across Polaris and Premium Plus cabins within a total capacity of 222 passengers.
The Polaris Studio pods occupy the first row and the first bulkhead row, providing 27‑inch 4K screens, extra width, and enhanced amenities such as caviar service.
Polaris business‑class includes 56 lie‑flat suites spread over two cabins, while Premium Plus provides 35 recliner seats with additional legroom.
Economy Plus adds 33 seats with extra legroom, and the main economy cabin holds 90 seats equipped with what United claims are the largest seat‑back screens in the world.
Passengers seeking the Studio or business‑class suites must book a Polaris fare; the basic Polaris Base fare does not qualify for upgrades.
United also plans to deploy the Elevated Dreamliner on two additional San Francisco routes—Seoul (ICN) and Zurich (ZRH)—starting in September, with the Seoul service slated to pause after October and the Zurich service ending for the winter season.
The airline expects to receive 20 of the 787‑9 Elevated Dreamliners in 2026, expanding its long‑haul fleet over the next several years.
