It sounds absurd: an airline making an attempt to channel Apple. Can an airline fly as excessive and easily because the tech icon?
After just a few days with United Airways — testing Starlink within the sky and previewing its next-gen ‘Elevate’ cabins — the comparability stopped feeling like an inconceivable stretch and extra like a method.
United Airways will flip 100 subsequent month on April 6, 2026, and whereas it has loads of competitors domestically in the USA and on the worldwide stage, it’s seen one thing of a renaissance lately.
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It’s been swapping smaller jets for bigger ones, upping the in-seat expertise with redesigned interiors, going all-in on a next-gen Wi-Fi product, and doubling down on infrastructure in ways in which passengers really see — and that workers really feel behind the scenes.
Now, a lot of my focus is on know-how and client electronics, however after attending United Elevated, the concept United desires to be the Apple of airways, not only a higher airline, began to make sense.
All of it actually started to sink in after I sat inside one in all its hangars at Los Angeles Worldwide Airport this week, the place United debuted its newest plane with the elevated inside – an enormous Boeing 787-9 – and several other different eye-opening bulletins, together with extra plane.
Reaching Apple-like heights would possibly sound a bit lofty, however the extra time I spent with what United is constructing, the extra it clicked.
To be truthful, Scott Kirby — CEO of United Airways — basically mentioned it first: “We’re making an attempt to repeat Apple’s method to their provide chain” for what the airline does with engines, including, “we’ll do it for different stuff as properly.”
Sure, the remark got here in response to a query about provide chain technique and tariffs, however it’s a telling one. Even in that narrower context, it affords a window into how United is considering extra broadly.
And actually, you possibly can see it.
United has lengthy been a companion with Apple and is fast to undertake its ecosystem. It rolled out Bluetooth connectivity for seatback screens and spotlighted it with AirPods, built-in with the Discover My community so you possibly can share an AirTag in case your bag goes lacking, and its app has been early to help issues like Reside Actions and the Dynamic Island.
None of that’s revolutionary by itself. However collectively, it begins to really feel acquainted — like an airline making an attempt to construct a extra related, cohesive expertise as a substitute of simply layering on options.
That reveals up most clearly within the app.
The app is changing into central to the expertise
Over time, United has turned it into one thing nearer to a journey management middle than a easy boarding go. Boarding teams are simpler to see, ConnectionSaver proactively helps with tight transfers (as long as it doesn’t delay an on-time departure), airport maps make navigating much less of a guessing sport with turn-by-turn instructions, and bag monitoring removes a few of the typical nervousness. Extra not too long ago, the “Journeys” expertise has been redesigned to place all the things entrance and middle within the days main as much as in addition to on departure day.
Once more, none of those are big swings individually. However that’s sort of the purpose, and United was the primary for a lot of of those, and with a eager capability to squash bugs. Different airways, together with Delta, JetBlue, and American, have added these related options, however none had been first.
It’s the identical playbook Apple has used for years — iterate, refine, and stack enhancements till the entire thing simply feels higher to make use of. The innovation isn’t all the time apparent, however you discover it when all the things works the way in which you anticipate it to. Just like the Cupertino-based tech big, it’s clear that United isn’t essentially speeding to swing for the fences with main updates and even smaller ones.
In fact, not each guess has landed.
For some time, United moved away from seatback screens on some plane, leaning into private gadget streaming as a substitute. It was a tech-forward thought, however it didn’t fairly line up with the aim of delivering a constant, premium expertise throughout the board. Now, the airline is course-correcting, bringing screens again as a part of its next-generation cabins. That’s a course of, although, and a few plane nonetheless fly with out seatback screens.
That push for consistency extends past software program.
United has typically taken a extra unified method to its premium cabins —particularly Polaris — in comparison with rivals like Delta Air Traces, which has launched a number of variations of its Delta One seat throughout totally different plane. With its “United Elevated” technique, that consistency is changing into extra deliberate, stretching from widebody jets to narrowbody planes and even regional plane. It’s additionally guaranteeing giant OLED screens at each seat — these seemed particularly punchy and vibrant — plus energy and USB-C ports, even in economic system.
After which there’s Wi-Fi.
Cabins, seatback screens, and Starlink Wi-Fi present the push for consistency
By rolling out quick, free Starlink connectivity — and tying it to loyalty — United is making web entry a core a part of the expertise, not simply an add-on. It’s not nearly having Wi-Fi; it’s about having Wi-Fi that works properly sufficient, persistently sufficient, that you just begin to anticipate it each time you fly. It’s a course of, although, and whereas 344 plane presently boast the improved connectivity, it’ll take till the tip of 2027 for Starlink to be on each plane in United’s fleet. Different airways have supplied free Wi-Fi, reminiscent of Delta and JetBlue, however United Airways is the primary to work towards equipping the whole fleet with a a lot quicker commonplace. It’s probably that different airways will find yourself going this route, with American Airways rumored to be in talks with Starlink, and JetBlue choosing Amazon’s Leo, previously Mission Kuiper.
Even so, that’s a really Apple-like transfer: set the baseline excessive, and don’t go backwards. Doubly so with United doing it first or setting the tempo, after which having different airways seemingly copy it.
However right here’s the truth verify — airways aren’t iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, and even any sort of client electronics analogy.
Apple controls the {hardware}, the software program, and the companies. It may be designed for consistency as a result of it owns the whole stack, and we’ve seen that flourish throughout the road, particularly with the appearance of Apple Silicon. Airways don’t get that very same stage of management.
Climate, air visitors management, airport congestion, upkeep — a lot of the flying expertise sits exterior of any airline’s arms. Even inside their management, fleets are combined, configurations fluctuate, and never each airplane may be introduced as much as the identical commonplace in a single day.
So the factor United is chasing — consistency — can be the toughest factor to truly ship. And that’s what makes this technique fascinating, and one to maintain watching.
The aim may not be to get rid of each variable. Perhaps it’s simply to easy out the components passengers really really feel. If the app is evident, the Wi-Fi works, the seat feels acquainted, and when one thing goes improper, it’s dealt with shortly, the general expertise can nonetheless really feel… dependable — even when the system behind it isn’t excellent.
If Apple’s entire factor is “it simply works,” then United Airways is making an attempt to convey that concept to 35,000 ft — turbulence and all. And it might need began to point out its playing cards with the day-long occasion the place it confirmed off its new Elevated Boeing 787-9, a reimagined CRJ450, numerous demos, hearth chats, and speeches from leaders. All of it felt very Apple event-esque — albeit at a location that may even rival Apple Park for views. I imply, you possibly can’t beat a sound system for music and audio system that may be heard over an lively taxiway and runway, proper?
I related with Zach Griff, a journey professional and writer of From the Tray Table, on this concept, and he shared: “Simply take a look at how United took inspiration from Apple at Tuesday’s occasion. It referenced the corporate quite a few instances — each overtly in the way it desires to imitate Apple’s provide chain technique and the extra refined, in the way it got here ready with a ‘yet one more factor’ fashion reveal. United desires to be to airways what Apple is to tech.”
That yet one more factor was an improve to Economic system, dubbed the Calm down Row — basically the flexibility to guide out three Economic system Plus seats with leg rests that increase to create a mattress that takes up a complete row, paired with bedding, pillows, and stuffed plushies. It’ll probably be successful for long-haul routes, because it’s set to debut on the 777 and 787 in 2027, and be far cheaper than Polaris.
Briefly, United has a daring aim forward. Perhaps even an inconceivable one. However for an airline about to show 100, it’s a reasonably compelling path to take.
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