Flying United's new first-class recliners on the snazzy Airbus A321neo

01.12.2023 - 19:49 / thepointsguy.com / Scott Kirby / David Slotnick

On Wednesday night, I opened the United mobile app and noticed that the upgrade list went on. And on. And on.

In fact, Thursday's United Flight 321 from Houston to Chicago had a whopping 111 passengers listed for an upgrade. That's more than 60% of the economy cabin — a staggering number for what the casual traveler might've thought was a run-of-the-mill, hub-to-hub flight.

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But Flight 321 was unlike any of United's 10 other daily frequencies between two of its biggest hubs. It was the inaugural flight for the airline's Airbus A321neo, or new engine option, and lots of Premier members and United employees wanted to be onboard (in the pointy end).

Ever since United took delivery of its first A321neo earlier this year, the jet has garnered significant interest from the frequent flyer community. It would become the first new Airbus jet inaugurated by United in more than 20 years, and the first new fleet type inducted since the Boeing 737 MAX in 2018.

United's Neo is also among the first in the fleet to feature the airline's latest signature interior, complete with an all-new first-class product.

So, it's no surprise that scores of frequent flyers, myself included, wanted to be onboard the inaugural. Within moments of United announcing the schedule, first-class seats sold like hotcakes. I was lucky enough to grab one, so here's what my experience was like flying on United's first Airbus A321neo.

When I entered the United Club near Houston's Gate C1, I could immediately spot passengers gearing up for the inaugural.

First look: Inside United's 1st Airbus A321neo! Step onboard ahead of the inaugural flight

From the United-branded sweatshirts to the "Remove Before Flight" backpack tags to the laptops plastered with airline stickers, it became clear that Thursday's flight would be filled with an eager crowd of aviation enthusiasts.

Even the journalists and bloggers had some fun in the club before boarding. I ran into our own David Slotnick, who previewed the plane earlier in the day and got in some questions with CEO Scott Kirby, as well as Matthew Klint from Live and Let's Fly.

After a reunion and a quick pass at the buffet, I made my way to Gate C12 about an hour before boarding to watch the festivities kick off.

The gate area was unlike any other in Houston on Thursday. In addition to the myriad of passengers milling around the gate, I found a handful of flyers glued to the windows, taking selfies and recording videos with the sparkly new Airbus A321neo in the background.

Just about everyone I saw knew exactly why they were about to board Flight 321. Still, that didn't stop the gate agents from making repeated