RELATED: Never Do This When Your Flight Is Delayed, Experts Warn. Back in October, United Airlines announced five new international destinations coming to its flight offerings this summer. The major expansion will include routes to Spain, Portugal, Norway, and Jordan. One route, in particular, is raising some eyebrows among experienced travelers: Set to debut on May 13, the carrier has plans to connect its Newark (EWR) hub with Ponta Delgada (PDL) in the Portuguese island territory of the Azores. But the new route comes with a slew of caveats. At 2,576 miles in distance and about six hours in duration, the Newark to Azores route will use United’s Boeing 737 MAX 8 for the flight. That’s a fuel-efficient aircraft, but it’s not a wide-body jet. And that means that travelers won’t find the lie-flat Polaris business-class pods that’d they’d typically expect when booking the cabin on a flight over the Atlantic. The 737 MAX 8 has 166 seats, split between 16 domestic first-class recliners, 54 extra-legroom Economy Plus seats, and 96 standard coach seats, according to The Points Guy. RELATED: For more up-to-date travel news, sign up for our daily newsletter. When it announced its new flights back in October, United originally marketed the upper-class cabin as Polaris, The Points Guy notes, but it has since stopped doing so. Instead, it’s now selling those seats as Premium Plus, which is more in line with the type of seat travelers would expect to see when they board. Passengers holding these tickets won’t get into the business-class lounge in Newark. Passengers also won’t find many of the perks on this route they’re accustomed to if they typically travel in business class on long-haul flights. There won’t be any a la carte meals with top-end drinks. And they won’t get the posh amenity kit, Saks Fifth Avenue-branded duvet, plush pillow, or gel support pillow offered in Polaris either, according to The Points Guy. Instead, they’ll get downgraded versions of these offerings.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb You will still get real china and flatware in flight, but more limited selection of wines and food options, plus smaller portions. If that all sounds like a major downgrade, there is an upside for budget-conscious travelers here, too. Instead of a price point in the range of $3,000 to $5,000 for a round-trip Polaris flight on this route, passengers can find round-trip tickets in this Premium Plus arrangement for as low as $1,250. RELATED: If You Hear This on Your Plane, It Might Be an Emergency, Flight Attendant Warns.
