Hello from seat 9A on UA2127.

I’m on my way home from what was probably the biggest event in aviation and travel all year.

United’s Elevated media event featured three new planes, a slew of flashy new products, and even a “one more thing” moment.

Plus, I have updates on my TSA tracker and much more below.

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I’ve never been more impressed by an airline event in my nearly decade covering travel.

There’s a ton to unpack from United’s Elevated event, but here’s the big takeaway: the airline is clearly attempting to overtake Delta as the number one U.S. carrier.

Only time will tell whether it’ll happen.

I’ll start with the announcement that surprised me most: Relax Row.

This is a new economy product designed for families, turning a row of three seats into a couch-like setup using leg rests that lift to 90 degrees.

There will be up to 12 Relax Rows per flight, and United plans to introduce them starting next year on every Boeing 787 and many Boeing 777s.

The product also comes with a mattress pad, blanket, two pillows, and airplane stuffies that my daughter would absolutely love.

If you want to book one, you’ll need to purchase three economy seats and pay an additional, to-be-determined fee.

Assuming it’s not prohibitively expensive, this could become a game-changer for family travel.

United also debuted the next-generation Polaris cabins on the Elevated Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

There are 64 Polaris pods on this plane, including eight in an all-new product called Polaris Studio.

All Polaris seats feature sliding doors, 16-inch 4K OLED TVs, upgraded tech, and a fresh layout.

Seats are arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration. Window seats angle away from the aisle, while the center seats alternate depending on whether you’re in the forward or rear cabin.

The seats themselves are clearly an improvement, but what stood out most to me was the design. It’s just a really good-looking cabin.

At the front of the business-class cabin is where you’ll find Polaris Studio.

These suites offer 25% more space, along with more storage, larger ottomans with a companion seat, and 27-inch 4K OLED TVs that supposedly cost as much as a sports car.

You’ll also get enhanced service: think caviar (yes, really), upgraded Champagne, elevated snacks, and VIP airport handling.

At launch, United plans to charge $499 to assign a Polaris Studio on top of the regular business-class fare.

My take: it’s probably worth trying once or twice.

United is also making major updates to its single-aisle fleet.

First up is the Coastliner, a specially configured Airbus A321neo designed for premium transcon flights between New York and Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Then there’s the Airbus A321XLR, which United plans to use on international routes and to open thinner long-haul markets across Europe and South America.

Both the Coastliner and the A321XLR will feature yet another new Polaris product in a 1-1 layout.

The pods face the aisle, much like on American’s A321XLR, but United’s version feels better executed with noticeably more shoulder and elbow room.

This one was the sleeper hit.

United is taking one of its most disliked planes — the CRJ-200 — and turning it into something that almost feels like a private jet. Or so it says.

The new CRJ-450 features a seven-seat first-class cabin with no overhead bins.

Instead, there’s a dedicated luggage closet across from seat 1A that fits seven full-size rollaboards.

United is also adding Economy Plus to this plane, along with larger overhead bins in economy.

There will be Starlink, but there won’t be power. And yes, the lavatories still look like they belong on a CRJ-200.

My free live TSA wait-time tracker remains an incredibly useful airport tool.

Since launching it on Sunday, I’ve made several updates, including:

Unfortunately, EWR, JFK, and LGA also pulled their live feeds, and I’m working to find a reliable backup feed.

I’m starting to collect historical wait-time data, so I should be able to share recent trends soon.

As for the biggest missing airports — Chicago O’Hare, San Diego, Las Vegas, and Boston — no live data feed exists.

If you want that to change, I’d encourage you to reach out to your local airport authority and tell them to collect and publish the data.

Bookmark the tracker: tsa.fromthetraytable.com

Three of my favorite travel apps just rolled out major updates.

First, Autopilot. This is the free app that gets you a credit if your flight drops in price after you book. It just launched a new iOS app.

Second, CardPointers. I use it to track my credit cards and auto-enroll in offers. They’re offering 50% off when you use my link.

Finally, Flighty. The best flight tracker out there. It just launched Airport Intelligence, which lets you quickly glance at airport-level status info in a single, easy-to-read dashboard.

Speaking of travel disruption, Delta just made a pretty ballsy move.

The airline cut many of the special perks it typically offers members of Congress until the shutdown ends. (This includes things like expedited security and VIP escorts.)

On the one hand, I appreciate what Delta is trying to do. On the other hand, members of Congress may remember this when the airline next needs something from federal officials.

Separately, Delta just unveiled a sizable expansion in Los Angeles, highlighted by new service to West Palm Beach.

And when did it announce the move?

During United’s Elevated event, which was taking place inside a maintenance hangar at LAX.

According to Delta, it is “LAX’s defining carrier featuring unmatched global connectivity.” United would like a word.

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