The Complete Guide to United First Class

United Airlines has three types of premium cabins: United Polaris®, United Business®, and United First®. United First is a premium cabin class of service available on US domestic flights, including Alaska, Hawaii, and Canada. However, if you are flying domestically between EWR and LAX or SFO or between BOS and SFO, the aircraft may have a Polaris Class cabin rather than United First.

United First was introduced into service in 2015, offering passengers a more comfortable travel experience than traveling in economy. The seats are more spacious, with a larger pitch, adjustable headrests, and extra legroom. Passengers in this class also enjoy complimentary food and beverages, including alcoholic drinks. Additionally, United's first-class experience includes Premier Access®, which offers priority check-in, boarding, and baggage handling, enhancing travelers' airport experience before their flight even leaves the ground.

What to know about United First Class

United Airlines offers United First Class cabins on six of their larger aircraft and on five regional jets. In fact, all but one of the regional jets have first-class seating.

The first aircraft to have the new domestic United First seats was the Airbus A319, which has been reconfigured to provide improved comfort. These seats showcase United's new color scheme, featuring dark blue leather seats with contrasting cream stitching. They come equipped with a six-way adjustable headrest, in-seat power outlets, a water bottle holder, and a tray table that has a pop-up holder for your smartphone or tablet. There are now two seatback pockets and an in-arm side storage pocket, in addition to under-seat storage. These seats are notably wider and oversized armrests. A small granite cocktail table is included, and there is ample space between rows to prevent your knees from touching the seat in front of you. When the seat reclines, it also slides forward, which helps to create more space.

Currently, over 50% of United's domestic fleet has these new seats in their first-class cabins. However, passengers may only know which seat they will be assigned to once they board the plane. Although some passengers may prefer the older seats, which do not have all the latest features, as they may find them more comfortable than the newer seats.

Examples of previous deals found by Going in United's First Class

• Newark to Miami for $375 roundtrip
• Phoenix to Boise for $358 roundtrip
• Portland to Salt Lake City for $398 roundtrip
• New York to Savannah for $368 roundtrip
• Denver to Albuquerque to for $298 roundtrip

The United First Class experience at the airport 

United First Class lounge access

Domestic first-class passengers are not granted access to United Club Lounges.

Check-in

All United First Class tickets come with Premier Access benefits. This allows you to use designated Premier Access check-in counters with much shorter lines than the economy check-in area. Additionally, you can go through Premier Access security lanes available at over 50 airports, including Austin, Chicago, Miami, Pittsburgh, and many others.

The United First Class experience in the air 

Flying in United's domestic first-class cabin is definitely an improvement over sitting in their economy or even economy plus. However, a passenger's United First experience will vary depending on the aircraft and if it comes equipped with newer seats. 

Regardless, all domestic first-class seats are more spacious and comfortable than economy or economy plus seats. They are wider, have more cushioning, and have additional legroom. However, unlike the really nice lie flat beds found in United's Polaris class, these seats only recline five or six inches.

Seats in United First Class

• Boeing 757-300: There are 24 seats at the front of the 757-300 configured in a 2-2 layout. The seats have a pitch of 38 inches and a width of 20.4 inches. The seatbacks don't have screens. Therefore, passengers have to use their personal devices to connect to United's Private Screening service, which offers an abundance of movies, TV shows, podcasts, and audio mixes.
• Boeing 737-700: There are 12 seats at the front of the 757-700, configured in a 2-2 layout. The seats have a pitch of 38 inches and a width of 20.4 inches. All seats have seatback screens with DIRECTV®, or passengers may opt to use their personal devices to connect to United's Private Screening service.
   
• Boeing 737-800: There are four versions of the 757-800 aircraft. They all have 16 seats at the front of the plane in a 2-2 configuration. The seat pitch is 37 inches on all. However the width varies slightly from 20.4 to 20.7 inches. While all versions of the jet have seatback screens, some have DIRECTV® and others have on-demand entertainment choices.
• Boeing 737-900: There are four versions of the 737-900 aircraft. They all have 20 seats in the front of the plane configured in a 2-2 layout. The seat pitch is 37 inches on all. However, the width varies slightly from 20 to 21 inches. While all versions of the jet have seatback screens, some have DIRECTV® and others have on-demand entertainment choices.
• Airbus 319: There are 12 seats at the front of the 319 and they are configured in a 2-2 layout. The seats have a pitch of 37 inches and a width of 21.1 inches. The seatbacks don't have screens so passengers have to use their personal devices to connect to United's Private Screening service.
• Airbus 320: There are 12 seats at the front of the 320 and they are configured in a 2-2 layout. The seats have a pitch of 39 inches and a width of 19 inches. The seatbacks don't have screens; passengers can use their personal devices to connect to United's Private Screening service.

United Express Planes

These regional jets used for shorter haul flights are all configured with a 1-2 layout. Therefore, it is worth noting overhead space above the single seat is not deep enough for a standard sized roll aboard bag.

• Bombardier CRJ-550: This United Express regional jet has ten seats in a 1-2 layout located at the front of the plane. The seats have an unusually large pitch of 42 inches and a width of 19.75-20 inches. The seatbacks don't have screens, so passengers must rely on their personal devices for entertainment.
• Bombardier CRJ-700: This United Express regional jet has 6 seats in a 1-2 layout located at the front of the plane. The seats have a 37 inch pitch and width of 19 inches. The seatbacks don't have screens, so passengers must rely on their personal devices for entertainment.
• Bombardier CRJ-900: There are two versions of the CRJ-900. Both planes are configured in a 1-2 layout. One version of the aircraft has nine seats, with a seat pitch of 37 inches, while the other has 12 seats and a seat pitch of 39 inches. On both planes the seats are 19.6 inches wide. There is no WIF; therefore there is no inflight entertainment.
• Embraer EMB 170: This United Express regional jet has six seats in a 1-2 layout located at the front of the plane. The seats have a pitch of 37 inches and width of 24 inches. The seatbacks don't have screens. Therefore, passengers have to use their personal devices to connect to United's Private Screening service.
• Embraer EMB 175: This United Express regional jet has 12 seats in a 1-2 layout located at the front of the plane. The seats have a pitch of 37 inches and width of 20 inches. The seatbacks don't have screens so passengers can connect to United's Private Screening service with their personal devices.

Benefits of flying United First Class

United First® passengers get Premier Access travel benefits. These include designated check-in and exclusive security lanes, which are available in major airports like Newark, priority boarding, and priority baggage handling. Theoretically, this should speed up the amount of time you spend in the airport before you get to the gate.

Baggage allowance

Travelers flying in United First® class can check two standard-size pieces of luggage (maximum weight 50lbs) for free. Bags are tagged with priority handling tags. In theory, this means they should be among the first pieces of luggage to come out at baggage claim.

Meals in United First Class

The food and beverage service passengers receive during their flight depends on the length of the trip. Full meal service with two main course options is provided on longer flights that are more than 2 hours and 20 minutes, or 800 miles, while shorter regional flights only offer premium snacks. 

United Airlines ensures variety by rotating their domestic first onboard menus. Additionally, passengers can pre-order from a broader menu that includes special meals such as kosher, gluten-free, vegetarian options and kids' meals. The snack offerings also rotate, but some favorites include Dots Original candy and Skinny Pop.

In March 2023, United Airlines introduced a range of new menu items that change every month. For breakfast, passengers can choose from Belgian waffles, frittatas, or a yogurt fruit bowl. For lunch and dinner, options might include Harissa chicken breast, spelt risotto with spring onions, oyster mushrooms, and mini carrots, or a grilled salmon plate. While these meals may not be Michelin-starred, passengers can expect more than just a bland bagel or turkey sandwich from United Airlines. 

Alcohol

In domestic first, all wine, beer and spirits are complimentary for passengers 21 and older. United’s selection includes brands like Baileys Irish Cream, Bacardi Rum, Jack Daniels, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Buffalo Trace Kentucky Bourbon, Stella Artois, and White Claw.  

How to book United first class

How much does it cost for a first class ticket on United? 

Prices of United First Class tickets fluctuate depending on the date, route, time of day, season, and demand. The average first class ticket costs between $550-$1200. However, Going frequently finds cheap flights under $300-$600 roundtrip.

How to upgrade to first class on United for free

United MileagePlus Premier members are automatically on a waitlist for complimentary first-class upgrades. These upgrades are based on space availability. Upgrade confirmation times range from 96 hours in advance for 1K members to the day of departure for Silver members. Additionally, the higher the ticket fare class, like Y or B, will aid in your ability to score a first-class upgrade.

How much does it cost to upgrade to first class on United? 

Because United uses dynamic pricing, the actual cost for an upgrade will vary based on the route, cabin, and demand. After you have purchased your ticket, you can view the upgrade price within your reservation, which can be viewed online or on the United app. However, it is important to note that It is not possible to upgrade from a basic economy ticket.

How many miles to upgrade to United first? 

United Mileage Plus members can use their miles to upgrade and economy ticket to first class. Because United uses dynamic pricing for their award travel, the number of miles required for an upgrade will vary based on the route, cabin, and demand. Additionally, you have to pay a co-pay, (typically $5.60) as well, however, that fee is waived if your ticket is booked in O, Y, or B class. United MileagePlus Platinum and 1K members can also use their Plus Points to upgrade from Economy to First. There is no co-pay when using PlusPoints. However, it is important to note that It is not possible to upgrade from a basic economy ticket.

What are the best credit cards to get free upgrades to United first? 

There are no credit cards that give passengers free upgrades outright on paid flights. 

Credit cards that earn United miles

The following credit cards allow you to earn United miles:

Here's how they compare:

In addition, the following Chase cards earn points that transfer 1:1 to United. This means that 1,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards® points can become 1,000 United MileagePlus miles. 

Summary

The experience of flying United First can vary depending on the airplane's configuration and flight duration, making it difficult to make an accurate comparison to other airlines' domestic first class. However, across the board, United First provides passengers with a little more space, a quieter cabin, and the privilege of boarding and deplaning first. Passengers in United First should also receive better service since there is usually a dedicated flight attendant for first class.

Although United's domestic first class does not offer the same experience as flying Polaris, the additional space is enough to comfortably use a laptop on the tray table without feeling cramped next to a seatmate or recline just enough to take a nap without feeling like you are sitting upright.

It may not be worth paying for first class for short-haul flights, but it is certainly a nice perk for MileagePlus members who are eligible for complimentary upgrades on domestic flights. On longer flights, the larger and more comfortable seats, along with better food and beverage service, may make it worthwhile to upgrade your ticket to first class.