By Callum Keown
United Airlines is introducing a new way to fly: turning an entire row into a couch for you and your family. It should boost revenue, although investors have a more immediate reason to relax Wednesday -- falling fuel prices.
The 'Relax Row' is essentially a row of three economy seats that fold out to lie flat on long-haul flights. United says it's perfect for families traveling with small children or even solo travelers who want "a little extra comfort."
It's set to launch in 2027, with plans for up to 12 of the rows to be available on more than 200 aircraft by 2030.
While it's a first for a North American airline, Air New Zealand has been offering its Skycouch economy seating since 2011. The idea was to generate more revenue per available seat--charging a premium for the spacious row on top of the price of three individual seats.
There could be further revenue opportunities for United, too, as the U.S. carrier said it has North American exclusivity on the design. Air New Zealand has licensed its design to other carriers, including Taiwan's China Airlines.
As comfortable and as inviting as that sounds, it's very much a bet on consumers' appetite for premium travel in the years ahead. United and other airline stocks were rising Wednesday for an entirely different reason--fuel prices.
Surging Brent crude oil prices, and rising jet fuel prices, have hammered airline shares since the Iran war began. So Brent's 5% drop to around $95 a barrel Wednesday was being met with relief by investors in the travel sector.
American Airlines and Southwest Airlines pointed around 2% higher ahead of the open--they are both down close to 20% since the conflict started. United, which has fallen 12%, was up 2.6% in premarket trading. Delta Air Lines is actually up 1.5% since the war began and was climbing 2% ahead of the open.
Write to Callum Keown at callum.keown@dowjones.com
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March 25, 2026 09:17 ET (13:17 GMT)
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