United Airlines currently has a fleet of 228 widebody aircraft, consisting of various models such as the Boeing 777-200s/200ERs, 787-9s, 767-300ERs, 777-300ERs, 787-10s, 767-400ERs, and 787-8s. These twin-aisle planes make up just over 20% of the Star Alliance member’s mainline equipment. The seating capacity ranges from 167 seats on the smaller, high-premium 767-300ERs to a maximum of 364 seats on the larger, non-ER 777-200s.

United Airlines was the first North American carrier to receive the Boeing 787-8 in September 2012. Despite having 243 seats, this model is not the lowest-capacity Dreamliner in the airline’s fleet. The 787-9, with 222 seats, including 69 Polaris studios, is the new high-premium configuration of the Dreamliner.

Routes Operated by the 787-8 in September

The 787-8 is the shortest variant of the Dreamliner, giving it a somewhat stubby appearance compared to its longer counterparts. It also has the lowest maximum payload among the three models, but still offers a significant range for long-haul flights.

United’s 12 Boeing 787-8 planes each have 28 Polaris suites in a 1-2-1 configuration, 21 seats in Premium Plus with 38 inches of pitch in a 2-3-2 layout, 36 Economy Plus seats with 34 inches of pitch in a 3-3-3 configuration, and 158 economy class seats with 31 inches of pitch in a 3-3-3 layout. With fewer than 12% of the seats being Polaris, it is clear why these planes are primarily used on specific routes.

According to the schedule submitted by United to Cirium Diio for September, the 787-8 is currently flying on 11 routes. These flights are all operated from two main hubs: Chicago O’Hare and Washington Dulles. Although Chicago O’Hare is not a fortress hub due to the strong presence of American Airlines, United still operates a significant number of flights from this airport. At Washington Dulles, United has a dominant market share of 72%.

Routes Departing on the 787-8 in September

– Daily flights from Chicago O’Hare to Amsterdam (until September 24, then switching to the 767-300ER), Barcelona, Dublin (until September 23, then switching to the 787-10), Frankfurt (starting September 24, replacing the 787-10), Milan Malpensa, and Munich. – Daily flights from Washington Dulles to Athens and Munich. – Five weekly flights from Washington Dulles to Accra. – Four weekly flights from Washington Dulles to Lagos.