United’s new lay-flat seats are a brilliant way to upsell the economy class

Few sectors of the economy show the growing divide between the haves and have nots more than the airline industry, which is increasingly catering to high-income flyers in an effort to squeeze as much revenue per available seat mile as possible. United, which just announced newly designed economy seats you can lie flat and sleep on, found a clever way to appeal to everyone by bringing the couch to coach.

This week, the airline announced what it calls “United Relax Row,” a row of three seats that transform into a single lie-flat space. The seats will begin appearing on United aircrafts in 2027. Reaction online to the airline’s announcement was joyous.

“United built the product that everyone who has every been on an airplane has wanted!” John Collison, president of the payments and financial services company Stripe wrote on X.

How does the relax row work?

The Relax Row is designed with arm rests that go up all the way and adjustable leg rests that fold up to 90 degrees, giving flyers a wider flat surface to lie on. United says booking the row will get you a custom-fitted mattress pad to go with the seats, plus blankets, extra pillows, and a plush for the kids. It plans to offer as many as 12 of these Relax Row sections per plane and roll them out to more than 200 aircraft by 2030.

Premium customers already have the option to lay down during long flights in United’s Polaris business class seating, which comes with a custom Saks Fifth Avenue sleep set. In 2021, the German air carrier Lufthansa allowed customers to pay extra to book a row of three economy seats to themselves and get a mattress topper for their flight.

United channeled these trends into its new cabin design. By putting the new seats in economy and pitching it to customers as “premium for all,” the airline can characterize the move as one that’s looking out for everyone in the back of the plane and not just first class—while still increasing profit margins.

The company is the first North American airline to offer lie-down coach seating, and the company says the option is geared for families with young kids, couples, and solo travelers who want more space.

Already, United offers complimentary kids meals, a Sesame Street-branded travel kit for children, and free family seating to seat families together. Giving customers with young kids the option to let them sleep soundly on a flat surface during a long-haul flight could further curry favor with families.

Why better economy seating is good for business

As fuel costs rise and lower-income customers pressured by years of inflation make up a smaller share of revenue, the K-shaped economic recovery from the COVID pandemic is showing up in the design of airline cabins in other ways too.

Southwest added skinnier seats that weigh less, while Frontier made bigger seats with extra cushion and wider armrests to upsell its budget flights. For United, the second-biggest airline by revenue behind Delta Air Lines, its challenge is premiumization of an already premium brand.

United said Tuesday that new cabin designs will have more premium seating and less economy, and Nocella explained on the company’s January earnings call that premium cabin revenue was up about 11% year-over-year while basic economy revenue was down 5%.

Finally, an airline is offering a lie-down, long-haul flight option for economy flyers, but for United, it’s about more than just comfort. The new seats have the potential to make the back of the plane pricier for flyers who want more space, but more profitable for the airline’s bottom line.