United Airlines Stuck With Fancy Airplane Seats It Can't Use Yet
United ordered luxury seats for a Boeing jet years ago, but delays left them in storage. Now the airline must decide what to do with them.
Imagine buying expensive furniture for a house that never got built. That's roughly the situation United Airlines finds itself in with hundreds of premium airplane seats it ordered years ago.
Back in 2018, United announced big plans for a new plane called the Boeing 737 Max 10. The airline wanted to fill it with fancy lie-flat seats (seats that recline into flat beds, usually found in business class) for long, profitable flights across the country. The plane was supposed to start flying in 2020.
But that never happened. The 737 Max 10 still hasn't received its certification — the official government approval from aviation regulators that says a plane is safe to fly. That approval was expected more than six years ago and is still pending.
Here's why things got delayed:
- Boeing had to redesign an anti-icing system (equipment that stops ice building up on the plane).
- The company faced heavy scrutiny after years of safety and manufacturing problems.
- A smaller version, the Max 7, was only approved earlier this month.
Some key numbers:
- United has 167 Boeing Max 10 planes on order.
- It expects the first ones in summer 2027.
- To avoid waiting, United already upgraded some Airbus A321neo planes with new premium seats, calling them the "Coastliner" fleet.
The bottom line: This story shows how manufacturing delays can cost airlines millions in wasted planning. United now has to figure out a smart use for premium seats it ordered nearly a decade ago — a reminder that even big companies get stuck waiting on suppliers.
This is an AI-generated summary. Read the original article at: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/23/united-airlines-boeing-737-max-10-seats.html