What is United Airlines First Class? [Updated 2024]

United Airlines is among the top airline companies in the United States with its headquarters in Wilis Tower, Chicago, Illinois. It operates flights to large domestic and international routes from 8 different hubs located across the country.

The primary hubs for United are San Francisco, Washington–Dulles, Newark, Los Angeles, Houston–Intercontinental, Guam, Denver, and Chicago–O’Hare.

Talking about the fleet, United Airlines currently operates over 850 aircraft including Boeing 787-8/787-9 Dreamliner, Boeing 777-200/300ER, Boeing 767-300ER/400ER, Boeing 757-200/300, Boeing 737-700/800 and Airbus A319/A320. Bombardier CRJ-200/550/700 and Embraer E170/175 are operated by United Express (regional carrier).

United Polaris Business, United Premium Plus, Premium Transcontinental, United First, Economy Plus, Economic, and Basic Economic are the cabin services available. 

In this article, we will explore United Airlines First Class with cabin design, seats, amenities, Lounge Access, baggage allowance, entertainment, food and beverages, and much more. So, stay till the end to explore every detail of the United First Class experience.

About United Airlines First Class 

United First Class is somewhat the same as United Business Class however, it is available only on flights throughout the United States including Alaska, Hawaii, and Canada. The First Class specializes in offering extra comfort and a convenient travel experience.

First Class is equipped with extra-spacious comfy seats designed with two-tone leather, a six-way adjustable headrest and articulating seat cushion. Passengers on United First Class enjoy various amenities, entertainment activities, complimentary food and beverages and much more.

What comes with first class on United? [Benefits & Perks]

Comfort, Convenience and relaxation are the main attraction of United First Class. If you are on a flight throughout the US including Alaska, Hawaii and Canada, you can enjoy the following amenities.

• You will experience premium cabin travel.
• Premier Access including faster check-in and priority boarding makes your journey hassle-free.
• You can check up to two standard-sized bags for free.
• With Premier Access, your bags will be handled with special attention and arrive at the baggage claim area faster.
• A two-tone leather seat with a six-way adjustable headrest offers an extra layer of comfort.
• You will get storage spaces, a Universal AC Power Plug, a USB charging port, a tray table and a granite-topped extendable cocktail table.
• You can enjoy United Private Screening, DIRECTV, Audio Entertainment, United Wi-Fi, In-flight magazine, Food and Drinks.

United Airlines First Class Seats

United First Class seat configuration is based on the aircraft type and design. For example, there are 50 First Class seats on United Boeing 777-200ER with a 2-2-2 configuration.

The premium and extra-spacious First Class seats are designed beautifully with contoured two-tone leather, a six-way adjustable headrest and a padded articulating seat cushion that cradles you while reclining.

A Universal AC power plug is available to charge your electronic devices. Every First Class seat offers Saks Fifth Avenue Blanket and Pillow for more convenience along with noise-reducing headphones.

United Airlines First Class Lounge

United First Class customers can have access to United Polaris Lounge but there are certain exceptions. First Class passengers on long-haul international flights can access a United Polaris Lounge at the departure airport.

United Polaris Lounges can be found at Washington Dulles (IAD), San Francisco (SFO), New York/Newark (EWR), Los Angeles (LAX), Houston Intercontinental (IAH), and Chicago O’Hare (ORD). Customers get access to United Club locations, or partner lounges if a United Polaris Lounge is not available at the departure airport. Lots of amenities are provided to the eligible passengers including signature seating, a relaxation area, and showers.

United Airlines First Class Club Access

Like United Polaris Lounge, United First Class passengers on their international first-class flight can access a United Club location at the departure airport.

You can visit our blog to explore the qualification requirements for United Club Access.

United Club can be found in more than 45 locations, especially at the busiest airports.  A wide range of amenities is available to enhance your overall travel experience with which you can relax in a calm environment while waiting for your next flight. 

Here are the major perks offered by United Club

• Complimentary Wi-Fi
• Personalized Travel Assistance
• Complimentary Beverages including Select Beer, Wine, and Spirits
• Complimentary Breakfast, and Afternoon Snacks

United Airlines First Class International

United Airlines First Class service is only available on flights throughout the United States including Alaska, Canada, and Hawaii. So, the International First Class service is eliminated.

At present, United Airlines offers United Polaris Business Class for international flights.

United Airlines First Class Baggage Allowance

With United First Class, passengers can carry two standard-sized bags for free with a weight limitation of 70 lbs (32 kg). The allowed maximum dimension of the bag is up to 62.0 linear inches (157cm) L+W+H per bag. In addition to that, passengers can bring a carry-on and a personal bag.

In case of additional, overweight and oversized bags, you can refer to the table below for additional costs.

BAG TYPE	DIMENSION & WEIGHT	COST
Third or Additional Bags	Up to 62 linear inches (157 cm) and 50 pounds (23 kgs)	$150 per bag
Oversized Bags	63 to 115 linear inches (160 to 292 cm)	$200 extra per bag
Overweight Bags	51 to 70 lbs (24 to 32 kg) 71 to 100 lbs (33 to 45 kg)	$100 extra per bag (51-70lbs) $200 extra per bag (71-100lbs)

When flying in United First, you have the convenience of checking in up to two standard-sized bags without any additional cost. Moreover, with Premier Access, your checked bags are given priority handling, ensuring that they receive special care, and are among the first to greet you at the baggage claim area upon your arrival.

United Airlines First Class Entertainment

United Private Screening, DIRECTV, Audio Entertainment, United Wi-Fi, In-flight Magazine, Food and Beverages are the major source of entertainment on United First Class.

United Private Screening contains the main screen, seatback on-demand and personal device entertainment. With these features, passengers can enjoy a wide selection of movies, TV shows, documentaries and famous programs.

First Class passengers receive DIRECTV as a complimentary entertainment service that includes more than 100 channels of live television throughout the entire flight. Likewise, they can enjoy pop music, relaxation mixes and various other music with Audio Entertainment. 

First Class customers can also use United Wi-Fi however, certain charges are applicable. United Wi-Fi is available for purchase on the majority of aircraft. Furthermore, passengers can spend their time reading an in-flight magazine that covers various topics like culture, lifestyle, food, drinks, sports and so on.

First Class passengers can enjoy various complimentary food and drinks throughout their flight.

United Airlines First Class WiFi

United First Class passengers can enjoy United Wi-Fi available onboard however, it is not a complimentary service. Passengers are required to pay an hourly fee, full-flight fee or purchase a Wi-Fi subscription.

United Airlines First Class Meals

United First Class Food and Beverages differ according to the flight route and duration. At present, United Airlines offers Premium Cabin Dining for flights throughout North America, the Caribbean and Latin America.

Passengers can select between sandwiches and snack boxes on flights with durations above 2 hours and 20 minutes from Atlanta, Boston, Chicago–O’Hare, Cleveland, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Honolulu–LAX/SFO, Houston–Intercontinental, Kahului–LAX, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, Orlando, San Francisco, Tampa, Washington Dulles and West Palm Beach.

On flights with a duration between 1 hour and 2hours and 20 minutes, passengers are provided with an all-in-one snack bag with a wrapped sanitiser wipe, 8.5-ounce bottled water and two snacks. First Class flights less than 1 hour don’t have snacks available so, passengers are required to bring their own onboard.

Passengers flying on United First Class to Hawaii will enjoy the main meal including packaged nuts, hot meal, packaged bread and butter, salad and salad dressing, and a sealed, single-serve cup of ice cream with a wrapped cookie. In addition, they also enjoy pre-arrival snacks from the snack basket. (Note: LAX/SFO–Hawaii flights offer a choice of sandwich or snack box.)

United Airlines First Class Cancellation Policy

United Airlines First Class including the Premium Cabin Seating offers are non-refundable. However, unscheduled events like flight cancellation due to weather, technical glitch, oversold flight, change to a different flight and so on are exceptions.

As per United Airlines Refund Policy, passengers can receive a waiver of change or cancellation fees if their ticket was purchased through United in the last 24 hours and the purchase was completed one week or more before the originally scheduled departure flight.

United Airlines First Class Review

United First Class Cabin service and structure differ as per aircraft type and configuration. For instance, United Boeing 767-400 has First Class seats on 2-1-2 configurations. United First Class is typically known as Domestic First-Class service because the international First Class is replaced by the United Polaris Business Class.

As a First Class Passenger, you will find an amenities kit along with Saks Fifth Avenue Blanket and Pillow on your seat. The First Class seats are fully flatbed offering you a sound sleep experience. You can find a Universal Power Socket, Headphone Plug, and USB Power Ports just behind your First Class Seat.

The in-flight entertainment screen is available with a small storage section below. You have options to choose from a wide variety of movies, TV programs, radio communications and audio entertainment. The United Wi-Fi is also available on-board during the entire flight for which you need to pay applicable charges.

First Class passengers get complimentary food and beverages and some attractive menus include Chicken Katsu Curry, drinks, nuts, salads, main course, dessert and much more.

In a nutshell, United First Class offers better seating with a fully flatbed feature, average food, great in-flight entertainment and satisfactory service from the flight crew.

Here are some reviews from United Customers:

“The seats were incredibly comfortable and the food was delicious. I would definitely recommend United First Class to anyone who is looking for a luxurious travel experience.” – John Smith

“I was really impressed with the service in United First Class. The flight attendants were attentive and friendly, and I felt like I was really being taken care of.” – Jane Doe

“I had a long flight from LA to New York, and United First Class made it so much more bearable. The seats were comfortable, the food was good, and I was able to get some work done in the personal entertainment system.” – Mary Jones

United First Class vs Business Class

United Business Class and United First Class are somewhat identical and offer quite similar amenities and services. The main contrasting factor between these two classes is availability.

United First Class is only available on flights throughout the United States including Alaska, Hawaii and Canada whereas Business Class is available on flights between the United States and Latin America or the Caribbean and on some U.S. transcontinental flights.

Besides, there are some differences in food and beverages served by the First Class and Business Class on United Airlines.

Conclusion on United Airlines First Class

As we come to the end of this informative article, we explore United Airlines First Class Cabin Service with amenities, seating design, baggage allowance, review, food and beverages, comparison with Business Class, and much more.

Is United First Class worth the upgrade?

Whether or not United Airlines First Class is worth the upgrade depends on a number of factors, including the length of your flight, your budget, and your personal preferences. For short flights, the upgrade may not be worth the extra cost. However, for longer flights, the extra amenities and benefits can make a big difference in your comfort and enjoyment.

If a seamless, luxurious journey with personalized service and top-tier amenities aligns with your travel ethos, the investment may indeed be justified. While the price tag of a First Class ticket is undeniably higher, the value proposition—be it for a relaxing, productive work trip or a truly indulgent vacation—cannot be overlooked.

For more detailed information, you can visit the United Airlines official website.

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