United Expands Luxury Push With First Class on Regional Jets

  • Carrier to put high-end seats, Wi-Fi on Bombardier ‘CRJ 550’
  • Airline is also adding Polaris seats on Airbus, Boeing planes
Photographer: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg
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United Continental Holdings Inc. is revamping some of its regional jets to add more first-class seats and amenities as part of a wider push to attract more business travelers.

The airline’s remodeled short-haul aircraft, dubbed the CRJ550, will be an adaptation of a plane made by Bombardier Inc. that typically flies with 70 seats. That’s 20 more than in United’s new configuration, which adds more luxury seats while reducing economy berths. United plans to fly the jets by year-end in Chicago, followed by flights from Newark, New Jersey.