United’s Relax Row gives you more space — and eight power ports | Tech Radar

Overview

News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest smartphones

News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets

Details

Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more

Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards.

United’s Relax Row gives you more space — and eight power ports

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.

Relax Row turns three economy seats into a lie-flat ‘bed’

It’s coming to Boeing 777 and 787 long-haul flights starting in 2027

You get three screens and eight power ports on top of the added comfort

Beyond offering another Starlink test flight and confirming that over 340 aircraft with faster, free Wi-Fi are flying daily, United Airlines also formally showed off its recent, next-gen Elevated look. That new cabin was originally teased in 2025, but we saw the next-generation Polaris seats — and the even roomier Polaris Studio pods — as well as Premium Plus, Economy Plus, and standard Economy offerings in person. Suffice to say, the screens and ports don’t disappoint.

However, much like Steve Jobs or Tim Cook, United Airlines also held back a “one more thing,” and it’s sort of genius. The Relax Row, as United calls it, will arrive on long-haul flights operated by Boeing 777 and Boeing 787 aircraft beginning in 2027, and it might be the biggest change to the airline's economy class in quite some time.

Similar to Air New Zealand’s Economy Skycouch, United’s Relax Row will let you book an entire trio of seats — essentially a row — outfitted with special leg rests that come up to fill the floor space and turn the three seats into a sort of sky bed. The airline is pitching it to singles, couples, and, maybe most importantly, families, with images showing a parent and two kids, comfortable and cozy, on the Relax Row mid-flight.

No dropouts, no stress: United’s Starlink Wi-Fi just works — and the rollout to every plane can’t come soon enough

New United Airlines rules could ban you from flights if you don't use headphones

Here's a cheap yet essential XR glasses accessory I can't live without

You won’t just be roughing it on the equivalent of Economy Plus seats with a leg rest popped up, either. United Airlines will offer the Relax Row with a mattress pad, bedding, two pillows, and, if kids are on the reservation, two stuffed animals that look adorable.

Additionally, you get the most screens — even more than what Polaris Studio affords — as you’ll have three 13-inch 4K OLED panels. But the real game-changer here might be power and ports. You’ll get two standard wall plugs and two USB-C ports per seat, for a total of eight power sources.

That bests the two USB-C ports, wireless charging pad, and AC outlet you’d get in Polaris or Premium Plus. And while you likely wouldn’t need more than, say, three ports, it’s a notable perk beyond the ability to stretch out and lie fully flat. That means you could charge laptops, tablets, a Nintendo Switch, earbuds, or headphones, and still have room for your phones. Pretty handy.

A post shared by Jake Krol (@jake 31krol)A photo posted by on

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 Polaris Studio, Polaris, or Premium Plus. United Airlines hasn’t shared exact pricing, but essentially, you’ll book three seats, with the Relax Row as an added cost on top. It's expected to be comparable to Economy Plus and less than the more premium options.

If the pricing is right, it’ll be a bit of business class for the rest of us. That said, the cost will almost certainly vary by route and aircraft configuration, with the latter affecting availability and the number of Relax Rows installed.

For now, it’s 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 proved popular enough to stick around. Based on a quick search around the time of publication, the Sky Couch costs between

499 and

1,000 and is also installed on 777 and 787 aircraft.

Much like the airline’s rollout of fast, free Starlink Wi-Fi across its fleet, we’ll need to exercise some patience until 2027, when United Airlines is ready to formally debut the Relax Row. For now, though, let’s hope we see more “one more things” from the airline in the near future.

Follow Tech Radar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

And of course you can also follow Tech Radar on Tik Tok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on Whats App too.

Jacob Krol is the US Managing Editor, News for Tech Radar. He’s been writing about technology since he was 14 when he started his own tech blog. Since then Jacob has worked for a plethora of publications including CNN Underscored, The Street, Parade, Men’s Journal, Mashable, CNET, and CNBC among others.

He specializes in covering companies like Apple, Samsung, and Google and going hands-on with mobile devices, smart home gadgets, TVs, and wearables. In his spare time, you can find Jacob listening to Bruce Springsteen, building a Lego set, or binge-watching the latest from Disney, Marvel, or Star Wars.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

1 Workplace devices are way behind on installing the latest updates, with Windows much worse than mac OS

2 Apple says its i Phone Lockdown Mode has never been hacked by spyware

3I compared the LG G6 OLED TV against the G5, and it's a big upgrade

4'One of the best smart appliances you can own right now' — the Tineco wet-dry vacuum transformed my cleaning routine, and it's 50% off at Amazon

5 Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, March 29 (game #1525)

Tech Radar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.