United's $10M+ Problem: Hundreds Of Boeing 737 MAX 10 Seats Sitting In Storage

Credit: Shutterstock | Simple Flying Published Aug 24, 2026, 1:40 PM EDT Louis is a military historian and the staff writer for History of War magazine, a leading military history monthly. He also has an interest in private and commercial aviation. Sign in to your Simple Flying account Premium seating is the name of the game for airlines who want to be profitable in the 2020s. However, United Airlines has had hundreds of Boeing 737 MAX 10 lie-flat seats in storage for years. The earliest point where the carrier will have a use for these seats will be when the MAX 10 is finally certified and deliveries can begin. That was expected to happen six years ago. Yet, with United reimagining how it may use the MAX 10, the seats may never find a use. United has well over 100 737 MAX 10 on order. It has had to look into other ways to serve the narrowbody premium market. One example is its newly outfitted Airbus A321neo aircraft, which feature Polaris lie-flat suites. Certification Issues Have Led To The Seat Excess Credit: Shutterstock United has found itself with hundreds of surplus premium seats because airlines typically order aircraft, and then order the necessary seats separately based on expected delivery dates. If the aircraft delivery date is delayed and the seats arrive first, as has been the case with United's 737 MAX 10, the airline needs to work on a storage solution. After several years of certification delays, Boeing has now completed its final certification flight. Boeinghas conducted almost 1,000 test flights with over 2,000 hours of flight time. United now expects to receive its first 737 MAX 10 in summer 2027. It will be years before all of these jets are delivered and the full inventory of seats can be installed. Earlier this August, United Airlines' CEO Scott Kirby spoke to CNBC about the seats: "We got a bunch of lie-flat seats that we don’t know what to do with... They don’t fit on other airplanes.” United Has 167 737 MAX 10 Jets On Order Credit: Shutterstock United currently has the largest 737 MAX 10 order sheet, with 167 commitments. Despite this huge order, United isn't at the top of the delivery schedule, with launch customer WestJet expected to receive the first operational 737 MAX 10. The first arrival is expected in summer 2027, the airline could receive 20 airframes by the end of 2027. The table below shows the order sheet for the 737 MAX 10, according to ch-aviation data collected by Simple Flying in February 2026: Operator Total 737 MAX 10 Order Quantity Air India Express 50 Akasa Air 99 Alaska Airlines 168 American Airlines 115 Delta Air Lines 100 Donghai Airlines 10 El Al 20 Flybondi 10 GOL 25 Iraqi Airways 10 Lion Air 50 Luxair 2 Malaysia Airlines 12 Okay Airways 3 Pegasus Airlines 100 Ryanair 131 SkyUp Airlines 3 Skymark Airlines 4 SunExpress 30 TUI Airways 27 Unassigned 130 United Airlines 165 Virgin Australia 10 Vueling Airlines 25 WestJet 107 Total 1,406 Simple Flying's Luke Bodell has reported that, even once deliveries begin, they may not use as many lie-flat seats as expected. That's because indicators are pointing towards the 737 MAX 10 becoming a high-density domestic workhorse, with United potentially configuring it with 189 seats. Such a jet would have 20 United First recliners rather than a lie-flat option. The Airbus Coastliner Fleet Will Provide Narrowbody Premium Capacity Credit: Shutterstock While United continues to await certification of the 737 MAX 10 and delivery, and questions remain as to how these planes will be used, the airline has had to look into other ways to fulfill the demand for narrowbody premium aviation. One example is its subfleet of A321neo aircraft that have been outfitted with 20 United Polarissuites. Coastliner A321neos will serve exclusively flights between its hubs of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). United has 50 of these Coastliner jets on order. 40 are expected to be delivered by April 2028. It's important to remember that the two aircraft differ in dimensions and requirements. The layout of Coastliner aircraft is not guaranteed to be indicative of United's 737 MAX 10 premium layout or the sorts of routes they will be flying. It remains to be seen how United will use its 737 MAX 10 jets when they are finally delivered, and if it will ever find a use for its excess lie-flat seats.