- Relax Row transforms three economy seats into a flat “bed”
- It will arrive on long-haul Boeing 777 and 787 flights from 2027
- You get three screens and eight power ports plus the added comfort
In addition to offering another Starlink test flight and confirming that more than 340 planes with faster, free Wi-Fi are flying daily, United Airlines also officially introduced its recent next-generation Elevated look. This new cabin was initially revealed in 2025, but we’ve seen the next-generation Polaris seats – and the even roomier Polaris Studio pods – in person, as well as the Premium Plus, Economy Plus and standard Economy offerings. Suffice to say that the screens and ports do not disappoint.
However, just like Steve Jobs or Tim Cook, United Airlines also picked up one “one more thing,” and it’s some kind of genius. Relax Row, as United calls it, will arrive on long-haul flights operated by Boeing 777s and Boeing 787s starting in 2027, and it could be the biggest change to the airline’s economy class in some time.
Similar to Air New Zealand’s Economy Skycouch, United’s Relax Row will let you reserve an entire trio of seats – essentially a row – equipped with special leg rests that fill up the floor space and turn all three seats into a sort of air bed. The airline is offering it to singles, couples and, perhaps most importantly, families, with images showing a parent and two children, cozy and comfortable, on Relax Row mid-flight.
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You won’t settle for the equivalent of Economy Plus seats with raised leg rest either. United Airlines will offer the Relax Row with a mattress topper, bedding, two pillows and, if children are on the reservation, two stuffed animals that look adorable.
Plus, you get the most screen count – even more than what Polaris Studio offers – as you’ll have three 13-inch 4K OLED panels. But the real change here might be the power supply and ports. You’ll get two standard wall outlets and two USB-C ports per seat, for a total of eight power sources.
This beats out the two USB-C ports, wireless charger, and AC outlet you’d get in Polaris or Premium Plus. And while you probably won’t need more than, say, three ports, it’s a notable benefit beyond the ability to stretch and lie completely flat. This means you can charge laptops, tablets, Nintendo Switch, headphones or earphones, while still having room for your phones. Quite practical.
The big advantage here is that, for long-haul routes, the Relax Row should be a more affordable way to get comfortable without spending a ton compared to the Polaris Studio, Polaris, or Premium Plus. United Airlines hasn’t shared exact prices, but essentially you’ll be booking three seats, with Relax Row as an additional cost on top. It should be comparable to Economy Plus and lower than more premium options.
If the price is right, it’ll be a bit business class for the rest of us. That said, the cost will almost certainly vary depending on the route and aircraft configuration, the latter of which affects availability and the number of Relax Rows installed.
For now, this is a really exciting addition to United’s seating lineup – and a first in the United States. The only real comparison is Air New Zealand’s Economy Skycouch, which has proven popular enough to stay. Based on a quick search at the time of publication, the SkyCouch costs between $499 and $1,000 and is also installed on 777 and 787 aircraft.
Much like the airline’s rollout of fast and free Starlink Wi-Fi across its fleet, we’ll have to have a little patience until 2027, when United Airlines is ready to officially launch Relax Row. For now, let’s hope we see more “more stuff” from the airline in the near future.
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