United Airlines Introduces Blocked-Middle Economy Plus Seating on A321XLR

United Airlines is set to debut a new seating option on its Airbus A321XLR aircraft, featuring an Economy Plus cabin with a blocked middle seat. This unique layout provides passengers in the aisle and window seats more arm and legroom, along with the extra legroom already standard in Economy Plus.

The airline plans to offer these seats for an additional fee and will announce pricing later this year. The A321XLR will initially be used on domestic flights before being deployed on short- and medium-haul international routes starting in early 2027.

United has ordered 50 of these aircraft, with each one expected to arrive with the new blocked-middle Economy Plus seating already installed. This design is not uncommon among European airlines, which often use similar layouts in their business class cabins.