◑ FIELD GUIDE No. 04 · KFlight · United Airlines16 aircraft
Do United Airlines planes have power outlets?
Yes — on every United widebody, and on most of its mainline narrowbodies, but not at every economy seat. United's own aircraft pages list power outlets and USB ports in every cabin of the 787-8, 787-9, 787-10, 777-300ER, the Polaris 777-200ER and both 767s. The gaps are United's own entries too: on the older 737-800, A319 and A320 cabins its pages list outlets in First and Economy Plus but 'No' in Economy, and the 50-seat CRJ-200 and ERJ-145 list no power at all. In economy, even where there is power, it is usually two AC outlets for every three seats, with a USB port at the screen. USB-C is new: the Elevated 787-9, the A321XLR, the A321neo and the retrofitted 'Signature interior' narrowbodies — not the original Polaris widebodies, whose reviewed seats have USB-A. Power banks: two per passenger, kept on you or in your personal item, never in an overhead bin, never recharged from the aircraft's power. United does not ban using one.
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Do United planes have power outlets? On the widebodies, yes — in narrowbody economy, it depends which cabin your 737 or A319 has.
The widebodies are covered: United's aircraft pages mark 'Power outlets: Yes' and 'USB ports: Yes' in every cabin of the 787-8, 787-9 (both layouts), 787-10, 777-300ER, the Polaris version of the 777-200ER, the 767-300ER and the 767-400ER. In economy the AC outlet is usually shared — reviewers count two outlets per three seats on the 787 and 767 — while the USB port is per seat, below the screen.
The narrowbody split is by cabin generation, not aircraft type. The retrofitted 'Signature interior' — seatback screens, Bluetooth, bigger bins — adds shared AC plus USB-A and USB-C at every economy seat, per reviews of retrofitted A319s and 737-800s. The older cabins still flying are different: United's own 737-800, A319 and A320 pages list power in First and Economy Plus and 'No' in Economy.
USB-C is confirmed on the Elevated 787-9 (Polaris and economy), the A321XLR's Polaris seat, A321neo economy, the new United First seat, and Signature-interior economy. The original Polaris seat on the 777-300ER and 787-10 is reviewed with a universal AC outlet and USB-A, no USB-C mentioned.
United Express is where to board charged. United's own pages list no power, no USB and no Wi-Fi on the CRJ-200, ERJ-145 and ERJ-170; the CRJ-550 has AC in First only with USB throughout; the E175 has AC in every cabin on one layout and in First only on the other.
§ 02The cabin kit · Before the boarding passBanks · short cables · adapters
Board it charged.
Every row below is a best guess until you sit down: United Airlines swaps aircraft, and the socket that was there last month may not be there today. A bank under the 100Wh carry-on ceiling makes the whole table academic.
§ 03Power by aircraftAC · USB-A · USB-C, per cabin
Every United Airlines aircraft, cabin by cabin.
Find your aircraft on the booking or seat map first — the same flight number can be a different jet day to day. Where a cell reads Not listed, no source we can stand behind says that outlet is there or isn't; we'd rather tell you that than guess. Carry a bank for the gate and arrival regardless.
Present Shared / newer seats only Not listed — tap to report Sources disagree None
Polaris Studio
Partial sources
Boeing 787-9
Elevated cabin · Polaris Studio · since 2026
CabinAC 110VUSB-C
Polaris (Studio + suites)
Yes
Yes
Premium Plus
Yes
Economy Plus · Economy
Yes
Yes
No source documents USB-A anywhere on the Boeing 787-9 — in any cabin.
One cell above is marked — no source we can stand behind covers it. Flown the Boeing 787-9? Tap it and tell us what was at your seat. One tap, no sign-up.
United's best-charging aircraft. Its 787-9 page lists power outlets and USB ports in all four cabins of this 64-Polaris layout. Reviews name the ports: a first look records USB-C and AC at each Polaris suite, plus a wireless pad, and a June 2026 review counts two high-power USB-C ports under the console table. In economy the same first look records in-seat AC and USB-C. Premium Plus gets wireless charging, and United lists AC and USB there, but nobody we found names the connector. The Polaris Studio is the front row of the business cabin and has the same charging as the other suites. A booking that says '787-9' may be this aircraft or the older layout in the next row, so check the seat count.
Long-haul
Partial sources
Boeing 787-8 · 787-9 · 787-10
Original Polaris layout
CabinAC 110VUSB-A
Polaris
Yes
Yes
Premium Plus
Yes
Yes
Economy Plus · Economy
Shared 1:2
Yes
No source documents USB-C anywhere on the Boeing 787-8 · 787-9 · 787-10 — in any cabin.
United's 787 pages list power outlets and USB ports in every cabin, and reviews fill in the detail. Premium Plus has a universal AC outlet and a USB-A port under the armrest. In economy, one 787 review counts two AC outlets for every three seats, both under the middle seat where the middle passenger's legs keep knocking the plug loose, plus a USB-A port below each screen. On the 787-10 a reviewer found the outlets under the seat in front instead. Polaris seat reviews find a universal outlet and USB-A. No review of this layout mentions USB-C.
Long-haul
Partial sources
Boeing 777-300ER
Polaris layout
CabinAC 110VUSB-A
Polaris
Yes
Yes
Premium Plus
Yes
Economy Plus · Economy
Shared 1:2
No source documents USB-C anywhere on the Boeing 777-300ER — in any cabin.
2 cells above are marked — no source we can stand behind covers them. Flown the Boeing 777-300ER? Tap one and tell us what was at your seat. One tap, no sign-up.
United lists power and USB in all four cabins. A May 2026 Polaris review finds a universal AC outlet and a USB-A charger at each seat, and an earlier one counts two USB ports, one above the side table and one beside the screen. The only economy source is from 2017 and gives each seat a USB port and an outlet shared between seats, without naming the connector. So the table says 'shared' for economy AC and leaves the economy USB type unknown. Premium Plus is listed with power and USB by United, but no review we found describes its ports.
Long-haul
Partial sources
Boeing 777-200ER · 767-300ER · 767-400ER
Polaris layouts
CabinAC 110V
Polaris
Yes
Premium Plus
Yes
Economy Plus · Economy
Shared 1:2
No source documents USB-A or USB-C anywhere on the Boeing 777-200ER · 767-300ER · 767-400ER — in any cabin.
United marks power outlets and USB ports in every cabin on all three types, including both 767-300ER layouts. What United does not say is the connector type. Our only economy detail is a 2017 look at the 767-300ER: a USB port at every seat, one outlet per pair of seats and two per three. We apply 'shared' to the whole group because United publishes no per-seat count for any of them. We have found no USB-C report for any of the three.
Domestic widebody
Partial sources
Boeing 777-200 · 777-200ER
High-density domestic layouts · United First
CabinAC 110V
United First
Yes
Economy Plus
Yes
Economy
Shared 1:2
No source documents USB-A or USB-C anywhere on the Boeing 777-200 · 777-200ER — in any cabin.
These are the two-class 777s with 330–364 seats, flown on Hawaii and busy domestic routes. United lists power outlets in every cabin. USB is where the sources disagree. United's pages list USB only in Economy Plus on the 777-200 and in no cabin on the 330-seat 777-200ER. A 2018 look at the retrofitted 777-200s found a USB port at every seat and at least one universal outlet per two seats. We leave the USB cells unknown and rely on the AC outlet.
Polaris
Partial sources
Airbus A321XLR
Polaris narrowbody · international from Dec 2026
CabinAC 110VUSB-C
Polaris
Yes
Yes
Premium Plus
Yes
Economy Plus
Economy
Shared 1:2
No source documents USB-A anywhere on the Airbus A321XLR — in any cabin.
4 cells above are marked — no source we can stand behind covers them. Flown the Airbus A321XLR? Tap one and tell us what was at your seat. One tap, no sign-up.
The narrowbody with a lie-flat Polaris seat. A first look records a universal AC outlet, two USB-C ports and a Qi wireless pad in Polaris, and wireless pads in Premium Plus. In economy it counts two universal outlets for every three seats. United's page lists USB in every cabin but has an odd gap in Economy Plus: AC only in rows 31–36, although the cabin starts at row 30. That is why that row reads 'varies'. International flying starts 1 December 2026 from Washington Dulles to Dublin and Amsterdam.
Domestic
Partial sources
Airbus A321neo
Signature interior · factory-fit
CabinAC 110VUSB-C
United First
Yes
Yes
Economy Plus · Economy
Shared 1:2
Yes
No source documents USB-A anywhere on the Airbus A321neo — in any cabin.
The best-charging domestic seat United flies. United lists power and USB in all three cabins. An April 2026 economy review finds a USB-C socket below every screen and two AC outlets for every three seats. United's own release for its new First seat, which it named for the A321neo, lists three chargers at every seat: an AC outlet, USB-C and a wireless pad in the armrest. Nobody we found says whether USB-A is there as well, so pack a USB-C cable.
Domestic
Partial sources
Boeing 737-800 · Airbus A319 · A320
Signature interior retrofit · seatback screens
CabinAC 110VUSB-AUSB-C
United First
Yes
Yes
Economy Plus · Economy
Shared 1:2
Yes
Yes
One cell above is marked — no source we can stand behind covers it. Flown the Boeing 737-800 · Airbus A319 · A320? Tap it and tell us what was at your seat. One tap, no sign-up.
This is the retrofit that fixes the gap in the next row, and you can spot it by the seatback screens. On a retrofitted A319, a 2023 first look found a universal outlet and a 27W USB-C port in First. Economy had two shared universal outlets per row of three, plus USB-A and USB-C in the screen. A 2026 review of the same cabin gives the outlets as 110V. A retrofitted 737-800 had USB-A and USB-C under the screen. United's own 737-800, A319 and A320 pages don't show this cabin yet; they still describe the older layouts. Progress is the moving part: in January 2025 about 46% of the narrowbody fleet had the new interior, and United has published no count since.
Domestic
Partial sources
Boeing 737 MAX 8
Signature interior · factory-fit
CabinAC 110V
United First
Yes
Economy Plus · Economy
Shared 1:2
No source documents USB-A or USB-C anywhere on the Boeing 737 MAX 8 — in any cabin.
The AC outlets are well documented. United lists power in every cabin, apart from seats 3A and 3B on its 14-seat-First layout. The 2021 first look found an outlet at every First seat and two for every three economy seats. USB is not settled. That first look photographed a USB-A port under every economy screen, but United's own MAX 8 page lists 'USB ports: No' in every cabin on both layouts. The two sources contradict each other, so we leave USB unknown. United also said its new First seat, with USB-C and a wireless pad, would go on 737 MAXs, but it hasn't said which aircraft have it.
Domestic
Partial sources
Boeing 737-900 · 737 MAX 9 · 757-300
Outlets throughout · USB not listed
CabinAC 110V
United First
Yes
Economy Plus
Yes
Economy
Shared 1:2
No source documents USB-A or USB-C anywhere on the Boeing 737-900 · 737 MAX 9 · 757-300 — in any cabin.
United lists power outlets in every cabin of all three types, economy included. A 2023 review of an older 737-900 counts two universal outlets for every three seats. That is what we'd expect across the group, but United doesn't publish the ratio. United lists no USB port on any of the three. Because United's USB column is wrong on the MAX 8, we treat that as unconfirmed rather than proven. On these jets, bring your own plug: the AC outlet is the documented one.
Long-haul
Partial sources
Boeing 757-200
16 Polaris · 160 economy
CabinAC 110V
Polaris
Yes
Economy Plus
Yes
Economy
Yes
No source documents USB-A or USB-C anywhere on the Boeing 757-200 — in any cabin.
The 757 with 16 lie-flat Polaris seats. United lists power outlets in all three cabins and USB only in Polaris. No review we found names the connector or says how many outlets economy gets per row. So: an AC outlet is documented at your seat, and a USB port isn't documented behind Polaris.
Domestic
Verified
Boeing 737-800 · Airbus A319 · A320
Pre-retrofit cabins
CabinAC 110V
United First
Yes
Economy Plus
Yes
Economy
No
No source documents USB-A or USB-C anywhere on the Boeing 737-800 · Airbus A319 · A320 — in any cabin.
This is the one real gap in United's mainline fleet, and United documents it itself. On all three 737-800 layouts on its site, and on the A319 and A320 pages, 'Power outlets' reads Yes in First, Yes in Economy Plus and No in Economy. A review of an unretrofitted A319 agrees: outlets in Economy Plus, none in standard economy. United also lists no USB port in any cabin. It's probably right about these older cabins, but its USB column is wrong elsewhere, so we don't state that as fact. On the 737-800, the giveaway is the old DIRECTV-era seatback screen. If you need to charge, Economy Plus is the cheapest seat that gets an outlet.
Domestic
Verified
Boeing 737-700
Outlets in select rows
CabinAC 110V
First (rows 1–3)
Yes
Economy Plus
Economy
No source documents USB-A or USB-C anywhere on the Boeing 737-700 — in any cabin.
2 cells above are marked — no source we can stand behind covers them. Flown the Boeing 737-700? Tap one and tell us what was at your seat. One tap, no sign-up.
The only United aircraft where the airline publishes power by row. United lists outlets in rows 1–3 in front, rows 7–10 and 21–23 in Economy Plus, and only rows 11, 12 and 15 in Economy. Pick your row and you know. Book row 24 or further back and United's own page gives you no outlet. United lists no USB port in any cabin.
Regional
Verified
United Express CRJ-550
10 First · 40 economy
CabinAC 110V
United First
Yes
Economy Plus
No
Economy
No
No source documents USB-A or USB-C anywhere on the United Express CRJ-550 — in any cabin.
The 50-seat jet with a real First cabin. United's page lists AC power in First only, and USB ports in all three cabins. So the economy seats have a USB port but no mains outlet. United doesn't say which USB connector, so pack a cable that fits both.
Regional
Partial sources
United Express E175
Two layouts
CabinAC 110V
United First
Yes
Economy Plus
Economy
No source documents USB-A or USB-C anywhere on the United Express E175 — in any cabin.
2 cells above are marked — no source we can stand behind covers them. Flown the United Express E175? Tap one and tell us what was at your seat. One tap, no sign-up.
United's most common regional jet comes in two versions, and United's page shows both. One has power outlets in every cabin. The other, with 12 First, 16 Economy Plus and 48 Economy seats, has them in First only. Neither lists a USB port. You can't tell which version you have from the flight number, so an E175 economy seat is a coin-toss for power. The Economy Plus and Economy cells read 'varies' for that reason, not because they're undocumented.
Regional
Verified
United Express CRJ-200 · ERJ-145 · ERJ-170
No seat power listed
CabinAC 110VUSB-AUSB-C
CRJ-200
No
No
No
ERJ-145
No
No
No
ERJ-170
No
No
No
On these three, United's own pages list no power outlet, no USB port, no Wi-Fi and no entertainment in any cabin. For the CRJ-200 an independent review agrees: 'There are no plugs either.' For the two Embraers, United's page is our only source, and a January 2026 ERJ-145 review mentions no Wi-Fi or entertainment but doesn't mention power either way. Change is coming to the CRJ-200. United and SkyWest are converting it into a 41-seat 'CRJ-450' from the end of 2026, and reports disagree on its seat power: one preview promised USB-C at every seat, a cabin-access piece from the same month says there is still no power or USB on board. Don't count on it until you've flown one — board fully charged.
§ 04The power-bank ruleEffective March 2026
Two per person, on you — never on the plane's power in flight.
Applies on United flights, per United's electronic-devices page. The page prints no effective date: the no-overhead-bin and no-recharge rules are dated 1 March 2026 by a United-forum thread on FlyerTalk and by trade coverage, and the two-charger limit is labelled 'New' with no date at all. Every rule below is United's own wording. United's rule controls how many banks you carry, where they sit and what may charge them — it does not prohibit using one. Its page says only that they must be on you or in your personal item, out of the overhead bin, and never recharged from aircraft power.
01Two portable chargers per passenger, maximum: 'Each passenger can bring up to two portable chargers.'
02Keep them on you or in your personal item for the whole flight — and never in the overhead bin: 'They cannot be placed in overhead bins or recharged using aircraft power.'
03No recharging the bank from the seat. The bank has to board full; the in-seat outlet is for your phone or laptop, not for refilling the bank.
04Capacity: lithium-ion batteries can't exceed 100 watt-hours (roughly 27,000 mAh). You can carry up to two larger batteries, above 100 Wh and up to 160 Wh, in your carry-on.
05Cabin bags only: 'Pack loose/spare batteries, including portable chargers, in cabin bags only.' Never in checked baggage.
06What United does not say: there is no line on United's page banning you from using a power bank to charge a device in flight. The same page does say laptops and the aircraft's power ports can only be used above 10,000 feet.
§ 05Quirks you won't read elsewhereUnited Airlines specifics
◑ Quirk 01
In economy, the outlet is often under the middle seat
United's economy AC is usually two outlets for every three seats, not one each. Reviewers count that ratio on the 787, 767, A321neo, A321XLR, 737 MAX 8 and the retrofitted A319. On the 787, one reviewer found both outlets under the middle seat, where the middle passenger's legs kept knocking the plug out. On the 787-10 they're under the seat in front. The USB port is different: where United has one in economy, it's per seat and below the screen. Plug the phone into the screen and save the shared socket for the laptop.
◑ Quirk 02
The same 737 can be two different cabins
On the older 737-800, A319 and A320 cabins, United's own pages list outlets in First and Economy Plus and none in Economy. On the retrofitted 'Signature interior' versions of the same aircraft, reviewers find two AC outlets per three economy seats plus USB-A and USB-C in the screen. The aircraft type on your booking doesn't tell you which you have. Seatback screens do: a modern touchscreen with Bluetooth means Signature, and an old DIRECTV-era screen or none at all means the older cabin. In January 2025 about 46% of the narrowbody fleet had been done.
◑ Quirk 03
Polaris doesn't automatically mean USB-C
The original Polaris seat, still on the 777-300ER, 787-10 and most 787s, has a universal AC outlet and USB-A, according to a May 2026 777-300ER review and earlier 787-10 reviews. USB-C in business class comes with the new generation: the Elevated 787-9's Polaris suites have high-power USB-C ports and a wireless pad, and the A321XLR's Polaris seat has two USB-C ports plus AC and a Qi pad. If your Polaris booking isn't one of those two, pack a USB-A cable.
◑ Quirk 04
United's own seat-map pages disagree with the aircraft
United's per-aircraft pages are the best single source for power at United, and they're where this guide's gaps come from. But the USB column is out of date in places. The 737 MAX 8 page says 'USB ports: No' in every cabin, while a first look photographed a USB-A port under every economy screen. The A319, A320 and 737-800 pages only show the older cabins, not the retrofitted ones. Where United says an outlet exists, we trust it. Where it says there's no USB, we only repeat that when another source agrees.
◑ Quirk 05
No outlet until 10,000 feet
United's electronic-devices page says 'Laptops and plane power ports can only be used above 10,000 feet.' So the outlet is dead during taxi, climb and descent, which is most of a short United Express hop. Charge at the gate, and on a regional jet assume the outlet (if there is one) is a cruise-only bonus.
§ 06The United Airlines flight packPower bank first
One bank first, then three backups.
United doesn't ban using a bank in flight — it caps you at two, on you or under the seat, never recharged from aircraft power. Widebodies and retrofitted narrowbodies give you a seat outlet; older 737-800, A319 and A320 economy and most United Express jets don't. So the bank boards full, and the GaN charger works whichever socket you get.
A 20,000 mAh USB-C bank under 100 Wh is the most useful thing to pack for a United flight. You can bring two and use one in the air, but you can't refill it from the seat. It covers the seats United lists without power: older 737 and A319 economy, the 50-seat Express jets, and every climb and descent below 10,000 feet.
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§ 07Questions about United Airlines powerReal answers
Does United Airlines have power outlets?
On most aircraft, yes. United's per-aircraft pages list power outlets and USB ports in every cabin of the 787-8, 787-9, 787-10, 777-300ER, the Polaris 777-200ER and both 767s, and outlets in every cabin of the A321neo, 737 MAX 8, MAX 9, 737-900 and 757s. The exceptions, also from United's own pages: economy on the older 737-800, A319 and A320 cabins has no outlet (First and Economy Plus do), the 737-700 has outlets only in select rows, and the CRJ-200, ERJ-145 and ERJ-170 regional jets list no seat power at all.
Do United economy seats have outlets?
Usually, but often shared. Where reviewers have counted, United economy has two AC outlets for every three seats. That's the ratio on the 787, 767, A321neo, A321XLR, 737 MAX 8 and retrofitted A319, with a USB port at each seat below the screen. The exceptions are economy on the older 737-800, A319 and A320 cabins, which United's own pages list with no power outlet, and some E175s. On an older narrowbody, Economy Plus is the cheapest seat with an outlet.
Which United planes have USB-C?
The newest cabins. The Elevated 787-9 has USB-C in Polaris and in economy. The A321XLR's Polaris seat has two USB-C ports. A321neo economy has a USB-C socket below every screen. United's new First seat has AC, USB-C and a wireless pad. Retrofitted Signature-interior A319s and 737-800s have USB-A and USB-C in every economy screen. The original Polaris widebodies are reviewed with AC and USB-A, not USB-C. The CRJ-450 conversion of the CRJ-200 promises USB-C at every seat when it arrives from late 2026.
Does the United 737-800 have outlets in economy?
It depends which cabin your 737-800 has. On the older cabin, with DIRECTV-era screens, United's own 737-800 page lists power outlets in First and Economy Plus and 'No' in Economy, on all three layouts it shows. A 737-800 with the retrofitted Signature interior has touchscreens and Bluetooth, and a reviewer found USB-A and USB-C under the screen. On the retrofitted narrowbodies AC is typically two outlets per three seats. The booking won't tell you which one you have, so if you need an outlet on a 737-800, Economy Plus is the safe choice.
Can I use a power bank on a United flight in 2026?
Yes. United limits how many you bring and where they go, not whether you use them. United's page says each passenger can bring up to two portable chargers, kept on you or in your personal item for the flight, never in an overhead bin and never recharged from aircraft power. Power banks travel in cabin bags only. Lithium-ion batteries are limited to 100 Wh, and you may carry up to two between 100 and 160 Wh. The overhead-bin and no-recharge rules date from 1 March 2026, according to forum and trade coverage; United's page itself prints no date.
Do United Express flights have outlets?
Some do. According to United's own pages: the CRJ-550 has an AC outlet in First and USB ports at every seat. The E175 has outlets in every cabin on one layout and in First only on the other. The CRJ-200, ERJ-145 and ERJ-170 list no power, no USB and no Wi-Fi at all, and a CRJ-200 review agrees there are no plugs. Treat any regional seat outlet as a bonus and board charged.
Are there outlets in United Polaris business class?
Yes, at every Polaris seat on every aircraft United lists. The original Polaris seat on the 777-300ER, 787-10 and most 787s has a universal AC outlet and USB-A, and one 777-300ER review counts two USB ports. The new Polaris suites on the Elevated 787-9 add high-power USB-C and a wireless pad, and the A321XLR's Polaris seat has AC, two USB-C ports and a Qi pad. The 757-200's 16 Polaris seats have power and USB according to United, with the connector unnamed.
How do I check whether my United flight has outlets?
Check the aircraft type on your booking, then look it up on United's aircraft pages (united.com, 'United's fleet'). Each page has an interior table with 'Power outlets' and 'USB ports' by cabin, and the 737-700 page even lists the rows. Two limits: several types fly in more than one version (two 787-9s, two E175s, older and retrofitted 737-800/A319/A320), and United's pages still show the older narrowbody cabins, so a modern seatback touchscreen is often the better sign that you'll have power. Outlets only work above 10,000 feet.
§ 08Other airlinesThe full set
Flying a different airline?
Per-airline power breakdowns roll out from the parent guide, which compares every major carrier side by side — the in-flight power-bank ban list included.
