United Airlines to Remove Middle Seats in New A321XLR Economy Plus Section

According to Lianhe Zaobao, United Airlines announced Tuesday that it will eliminate middle seats in the Economy Plus cabin of its new Airbus A321XLR aircraft, replacing them with a shared table for aisle and window passengers to provide more spacious seating. The carrier said it will be the first U.S. airline to offer such a configuration and may extend it to other aircraft models. The move follows industry trends, with European carriers such as Lufthansa and Finnair already offering empty seat reservation services in business class, and some airlines allowing passengers to pay for adjacent empty seats. In March, United also announced plans to introduce "Relax Row" on select Boeing widebody aircraft starting next year, enabling economy passengers to convert three seats into a lie-flat space after takeoff. The airline industry is increasingly offering tiered seating options and add-on services to attract passengers willing to pay more for comfort, though the widening service gap has drawn criticism from some travelers who question why previously free amenities now require extra fees.