United’s New Business-Class Seats Had Privacy Doors Passengers Couldn’t Use — Until Now

Passengers booking United Airlines’ newest international business-class cabins have spent the past several months flying with sliding privacy doors that they could see but could not close. The airline began operating its redesigned Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners with the United Elevated interior internationally in April, introducing new Polaris suites and larger Polaris Studio suites as part of an extensive cabin overhaul. Privacy doors were one of the most visible additions, yet United entered those aircraft into service while awaiting federal approval for passengers to use them.

That approval has now arrived. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has certified the doors, and United has started unlocking them across the affected aircraft, USA Today reported. The process will happen aircraft by aircraft over the next several weeks. Once a door has been activated, passengers can slide it closed for additional separation from the aisle and neighboring seats, making one of the new Polaris cabins’ key features available to customers.

FAA Approval Unlocks United’s Polaris Privacy Doors

United first unveiled the Elevated interior in May 2025. Each newly configured 787-9 includes eight Polaris Studio suites and 56 standard Polaris suites. The Studio seats occupy the first row of each business-class section and are 25% larger than standard Polaris seats, with 27-inch 4K OLED screens and ottomans in six of the eight suites. Standard Polaris suites feature 19-inch 4K OLED screens and direct aisle access. Both products include sliding privacy doors.

When the airline opened bookings for the aircraft in March 2026, it included a notice stating that the privacy doors were temporarily unavailable. The first international flight departed San Francisco for Singapore on April 22, followed by San Francisco to London on April 30, while the doors remained locked open.

The delay reflected federal certification requirements for premium seating. The FAA told USA Today that premium seats must meet safety and evacuation standards and that flight attendants need training on new seating and safety features so crews can properly instruct passengers during an emergency.

United has positioned the new cabins as a major part of its premium expansion. “We’re constantly pioneering new ways to differentiate our customers’ experience in every seat, and we’re confident they will love it,” Andrew Nocella, United’s executive vice president and chief commercial officer, said when the airline began selling seats on the aircraft in March.

Where United’s New Polaris Suites Are Flying

The newly approved doors are available only on Boeing 787-9 aircraft equipped with the Elevated interior, so passengers booking Polaris will need to check the aircraft configuration if the privacy feature is important to them. United currently operates the aircraft between San Francisco International Airport and Singapore Changi Airport, as well as between San Francisco and London Heathrow.

United plans to expand the Elevated 787-9 network this fall, deploying the aircraft from San Francisco to Seoul and Zurich from September through late October before adding Houston routes to São Paulo, Tokyo Narita, and Sydney later that month. Service between Houston and London is scheduled to follow in early January 2027. By the end of 2027, United expects to have at least 30 Boeing 787-9s with Elevated interiors flying across its global network.

The airline also plans to offer privacy doors on its upcoming Airbus A321XLR aircraft, with the feature available when they enter service. Delta Air Lines and American Airlines already offer business-class suites with privacy doors on select aircraft. United’s newly approved Polaris doors bring a similar level of privacy to passengers flying on its latest 787-9 cabins.