United expands luxury push with first class on regional jets

United Continental is revamping some of its regional jets to add more first-class seats and amenities as part of a wider push to attract more business travellers. The airline’s remodeled short-haul aircraft, dubbed the CRJ550, will be an adaptation of a plane made by Bombardier Inc. that typically flies with 70 seats. That’s 20 more than in United’s new configuration, which adds more luxury seats while reducing economy berths. United plans to fly the jets by year-end in Chicago, followed by flights from Newark, New Jersey. “We felt we were in a competitive disadvantage in certain markets,” Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Nocella told reporters. “The CRJ550 is one of many things we’re doing as a company to close that gap.”<br/>