United Airlines
United Airlines Boeing 787-9 seat map (three class)
United Polaris (standard interior), four-class
787-9business class, premium economy and economy257 seats
Read off the airline’s own material, but some detail — often the row numbering — is our own careful work rather than theirs. Treat row-level detail as indicative and check at booking.
Worked out from sourced data rather than read directly off a published map.
About this cabin
United Airlines' 787-9 in this configuration seats 257 (J/W/Y/Y/Y/Y). The seat totals here are confirmed from published airline data; some row-by-row detail is our own careful estimate where the airline doesn't publish it. United Airlines flies 2 different cabins on the 787-9 — this is one of them, about 85% of the fleet. This is a version lottery: the flight page will tell you which one you're actually booked on where we can determine it.
Quick pick, by traveller
| If you're… | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Travelling solo | 2A | A window seat rated highly with nothing working against it — lean on the wall, control the shade, nobody climbing over you. |
| Travelling as a couple | 2B | This row's layout puts a genuine two-seat pair here — no middle seat exists in this group, so it's just the two of you. |
| Tall passengers | 27B | Genuine extra legroom that also still reclines — not every extra-legroom seat does. |
| Nervous flyers | 27B | Over the wing, close to the aircraft's structural centre of gravity — the smoothest ride on board when it's bumpy. |
| Trying to sleep | 2A | A window seat away from galley and lavatory traffic, so aisle lights and trolley passes are less likely to wake you. |
Seat map
United Polaris (business class)
United Polaris spans rows 1–12 in a 1-2-1 layout, 78in pitch and 20in seat width. Worth avoiding: 12B, 12C, 12A, 12D — next to galley.
United Premium Plus (premium economy)
United Premium Plus spans rows 14–16 in a 2-3-2 layout, 38in pitch and 19.5in seat width. Worth avoiding: 16B, 16C, 16E, 16F — seat doesn't recline.
United Economy Plus (forward, transition width)
United Economy Plus (forward, transition width) spans rows 18–20 in a 2-3-2 layout, 35in pitch and 18in seat width. Worth avoiding: 18B, 18C, 18E, 18F — next to galley.
United Economy Plus
United Economy Plus spans rows 21–22 in a 3-3-3 layout, 35in pitch and 17.3in seat width.
United Economy
United Economy spans rows 23–35 in a 3-3-3 layout, 31in pitch and 17.3in seat width. Worth avoiding: 26C, 26D, 26F, 26G — seat doesn't recline.
United Economy (aft taper)
United Economy (aft taper) spans rows 36–39 in a 3-2-3 layout, 31in pitch and 17.3in seat width. Worth avoiding: 39C, 39D, 39E, 39F — seat doesn't recline.
Cabin specs
| Cabin | Pitch | Width | Recline | Power | IFE | Wifi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Polaris | 78" | 20" | Lie-flat | AC | 4K HD touchscreen | Excellent |
| United Premium Plus | 38" | 19.5" | 8° | AC | HD touchscreen | Good |
| United Economy Plus (forward, transition width) | 35" | 18" | — | USB | HD touchscreen | Good |
| United Economy Plus | 35" | 17.3" | — | USB | HD touchscreen | Good |
| United Economy | 31" | 17.3" | — | USB | HD touchscreen | Basic |
| United Economy (aft taper) | 31" | 17.3" | — | USB | HD touchscreen | Basic |
Seats to avoid
| Seat | Cabin | Why to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| 12B | United Polaris | A galley is directly next to you, so expect crew activity, cart noise and light throughout the flight, especially during meal service. |
| 12C | United Polaris | A galley is directly next to you, so expect crew activity, cart noise and light throughout the flight, especially during meal service. |
| 12A | United Polaris | A galley is directly next to you, so expect crew activity, cart noise and light throughout the flight, especially during meal service. |
| 12D | United Polaris | A galley is directly next to you, so expect crew activity, cart noise and light throughout the flight, especially during meal service. |
| 16B | United Premium Plus | This is the last row of the cabin, or the row directly in front of an exit, so the seat back is fixed upright for the whole flight. |
| 16C | United Premium Plus | This is the last row of the cabin, or the row directly in front of an exit, so the seat back is fixed upright for the whole flight. |
| 16E | United Premium Plus | This is the last row of the cabin, or the row directly in front of an exit, so the seat back is fixed upright for the whole flight. |
| 16F | United Premium Plus | This is the last row of the cabin, or the row directly in front of an exit, so the seat back is fixed upright for the whole flight. |
| 18B | United Economy Plus (forward, transition width) | A galley is directly next to you, so expect crew activity, cart noise and light throughout the flight, especially during meal service. |
| 18C | United Economy Plus (forward, transition width) | A galley is directly next to you, so expect crew activity, cart noise and light throughout the flight, especially during meal service. |
| 18E | United Economy Plus (forward, transition width) | A galley is directly next to you, so expect crew activity, cart noise and light throughout the flight, especially during meal service. |
| 18F | United Economy Plus (forward, transition width) | A galley is directly next to you, so expect crew activity, cart noise and light throughout the flight, especially during meal service. |
| 26C | United Economy | This is the last row of the cabin, or the row directly in front of an exit, so the seat back is fixed upright for the whole flight. |
| 26D | United Economy | This is the last row of the cabin, or the row directly in front of an exit, so the seat back is fixed upright for the whole flight. |
| 26F | United Economy | This is the last row of the cabin, or the row directly in front of an exit, so the seat back is fixed upright for the whole flight. |
| 26G | United Economy | This is the last row of the cabin, or the row directly in front of an exit, so the seat back is fixed upright for the whole flight. |
| 39C | United Economy (aft taper) | This is the last row of the cabin, or the row directly in front of an exit, so the seat back is fixed upright for the whole flight. |
| 39D | United Economy (aft taper) | This is the last row of the cabin, or the row directly in front of an exit, so the seat back is fixed upright for the whole flight. |
| 39E | United Economy (aft taper) | This is the last row of the cabin, or the row directly in front of an exit, so the seat back is fixed upright for the whole flight. |
| 39F | United Economy (aft taper) | This is the last row of the cabin, or the row directly in front of an exit, so the seat back is fixed upright for the whole flight. |
Known quirks on this aircraft
- Seat doesn't recline (33 seats: 16A, 16B, 16C, and 30 more) — This is the last row of the cabin, or the row directly in front of an exit, so the seat back is fixed upright for the whole flight.
- Often cold or draughty (18 seats: 1A, 1D, 14A, and 15 more) — Seats next to a bulkhead or door on a long-haul widebody are usually the coldest in the cabin — bring a layer for this one.
- High foot traffic (42 seats: 12B, 12C, 14B, and 39 more) — This aisle seat sits right next to a lavatory, galley or exit, so expect a steady stream of people brushing past, especially early and late in the flight.
- No underseat storage (36 seats: 1A, 1B, 1C, and 33 more) — Bulkhead and exit-row seats have nothing in front of the seat to store a bag under, so your bag must go in the overhead bin for the whole flight.
- Wing blocks the view (14 seats: 27A, 27J, 28A, and 11 more) — The wing sits directly outside this window, blocking most of the view — but you also get one of the smoothest, quietest rides on the aircraft.
Frequently asked
- How many seats does United Airlines' 787-9 have in this configuration?
- 257 seats in total, arranged as J/W/Y/Y/Y/Y. This is one specific configuration — United Airlines' fleet may include other configurations of the same aircraft type, covered below.
- Is this the only cabin layout United Airlines flies on the 787-9?
- No — United Airlines flies 2 different cabin layouts on the 787-9, roughly 85% of the fleet for this one. Check your specific flight's aircraft registration where possible, since booking the same route twice can put you on a different layout.
- Which seats should I avoid?
- Seat 12B in United Polaris is worth avoiding: A galley is directly next to you, so expect crew activity, cart noise and light throughout the flight, especially during meal service. The full seat map marks every seat we'd steer you away from, with the specific reason for each.
- Does the 787-9 have wifi and power in this configuration?
- United Polaris has excellent wifi and AC power at the seat. Power and wifi can vary by cabin on the same aircraft — check the cabin specs table above for every class.
- How confident are you in this seat map?
- This configuration is marked "derived" — the overall configuration confirmed, with some row-level detail worked out from seat counts and layout. See the sources and last-verified date lower on this page.
- Has a real person checked these individual seat scores?
- Not yet for this specific configuration. The scores above come from our rules engine, which reasons from real aircraft geometry, but they aren't marked as human-verified until someone has actually reviewed the unusual ones — see the verification section below for the current status.
Related
Other cabins United Airlines flies on the 787-9
Other airlines flying the 787-9
- Air India Limited 787-9 — Business Elevate Ascent, Premium Economy and EconomyJ/W/Y
- Japan Airlines Domestic 787-9 — Business, Sky Premium Economy and EconomyJ/W/Y
- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines 787-9 — World Business Class, Premium Comfort and Economy, three-classJ/J/W/W/Y
- Royal Air Maroc 787-9 — Business, Eco Premium and Economy ("v2", 16C/28W/276Y)J/W/Y/Y/Y
- Royal Air Maroc 787-9 — Business and Economy, standard configuration (26C/276Y, "v1")J/J/Y/Y/Y
- AeroMéxico 787-9 — Clase Premier, Economy (extra legroom) and EconomyJ/Y/Y
- Ethiopian Airlines 787-9 — Cloud Nine and Economy on the Boeing 787-9J/J/Y/Y/Y
- Etihad Airways 787-9 — Business Studio and Economy Smart Seat, 335-seat cabin (Layout 3)J/Y/Y/Y/Y
Other aircraft United Airlines flies
Data sources & verification
- Configuration last verified
- , against United Airlines' own published seat map and fleet data below.
- Seat-by-seat scores
- Generated from the configuration data below by our rules engine. Awaiting human review before individual scores are published as verified.
- Fleet status
- Fitted fleet-wide — 85% of aircraft on this type carry this cabin.
- Seat lettering
- We haven't confirmed this cabin's exact seat letters against United Airlines' own diagram yet. The seat count and layout are sourced; on a wide-body in particular, individual seat letters (e.g. whether a row has a seat G) may be off by one position until we do. We're working through these one airline at a time and will remove this note once it's checked.
- 2 sources cited
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Seat reviews
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