These days it is often easier to find cheap airplane tickets or cheap vacation packages than it is to find a comfortable seat on a plane. United Airlines has announced plans to spend over $500 million to improve seating on its planes and create the same look and feel on all of its planes.
United and Continental merged last year and this investment is one of many steps United in the two airlines integration.
Economy Plus seating, which is a coach section that offers more legroom, and Channel 9, which allows passengers to listen to air traffic control conversations with pilots, will be added to former Continental planes.
By the end of 2011 38 planes will have undergone these changes, with an additional 100 planes scheduled to be upgraded by the end of March 2012. First and Economy Plus seating will be added this fall to 29 Bombardier Q400 regional aircraft operated under the United Express name. These turboprops fly mainly out of Chicago, Houston, Newark, N.J., and Washington D.C.
United plans to almost double the size of its overhead bins on all 152 of the Airbus A319 and A320 planes flown by United prior to the merger by March 2012. This enhancement will result in an additional 40 bags being carried in overhead bins.
Installation of new flat bed seats, on demand audio, and video in premium cabins of 12 Continental 767-400s and 14 United 767-300s will commence in September.
United also will be adding Wi-Fi to over 200 Boeing 737 and 757 planes. www.cheapfares.com