United Airlines to be first in U.S. to offer lie-flat seats on 737s

Aug. 22 (UPI) -- United Airlines is planning to offer reclining lie-flat seats on some of its Boeing 737s -- and would be the first U.S. carrier to do so.

The airline is testing the seats right now in the first-class cabin on some Boeing 757s, United President Scott Kirby told reporters at a conference in Denver Tuesday.

After testing, the seats would be installed on some of United's 737 Max 10-model jets, which are scheduled to begin flying in 2020. The carrier ordered 100 Max 737s last year.

The Chicago-based airline already offers flatbed seats in first-class on some 757s, but it would be the first in the United States to offer them on the smaller 737. The 737 Max is a larger version of the traditional 737, which is one of the most flown planes in the world.

"Trying to fly from Denver to L.A., I think you would have a hard time making the economics of lie-flat work," Kirby told reporters. "But would Newark to Seattle work? Probably. Would San Francisco to D.C. work? Probably. We think there is demand, but it's almost exclusively [transcontinental] demand."

Delta, American and Jet Blue already offer lie-flat seats on transcontinental flights.