United rolls out new Boeing 737 Max 8 fleet on Guam

By Pacific Island Times News Staff

United Airlines has officially unveiled one of its first Guam-based Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

The airline's current fleet of 10 Boeing 737-800 aircraft serving Guam will be replaced by 10 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft by the end of 2026.

The first regularly scheduled flights from Guam operating with the 737 MAX 8 aircraft will begin on April 30 on select services to Tokyo-Narita. By late August, all United flights on this route will be operated with the 737 MAX aircraft.

The aircraft is also scheduled to operate Tokyo-Narita to Ulaanbaatar beginning April 30 and from Tokyo-Narita to Koror beginning May 2.

“Guam has long played an important role in our Pacific network, both as a destination and for connecting communities across Micronesia with Asia and the continental United States,” said Patrick Quayle, United's senior vice president for Global Network Planning and Alliances.

“The introduction of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 helps us deliver a more consistent and reliable experience for customers traveling to the 15 destinations we serve throughout the region. We’re proud to invest in Guam and provide local customers and visitors with a premium experience that customers deserve and expect from us," he added.

Each 737 MAX 8 will feature United’s signature interior with seatback entertainment in every seat, larger overhead bins, Wi-Fi available for purchase, more extra-legroom seating and wireless Bluetooth connectivity, as well as a bright look and feel with LED lighting.

When needed, the front rows of economy class can be collapsed to accommodate a medical stretcher for patients needing medevac transport.

There are already two United 737 MAX 8 aircraft in Guam, which have operated throughout United’s system.

By late August, all United narrowbody flights from NRT will be operated with 737 MAX 8 aircraft, as will all United flights from Saipan and Yap. By December, United expects all its narrowbody flights from Guam, including the Island Hopper service, to be operated with a MAX 8 aircraft. 

United's Guam-based 737 MAX 8 will have a total of 164 seats, including up to 14 United First seats. Every seat on these aircraft has access to USB charge ports and provides a seatback experience with accessibility features for people with hearing or visual disabilities. The aircraft will also have Bluetooth technology throughout for easy connections between wireless headphones and the seatback entertainment screens. 

Wi-Fi will be available for purchase, with United planning to roll out Starlink to its entire fleet by the end of 2027. Starlink access will be free for all MileagePlus customers and includes game-changing in-flight entertainment experiences like streaming services, shopping and gaming, among others.

United's inflight entertainment–13-inch high-definition screens in every first-class seat and 10-inch HD screens in every United Economy seat on the 737 MAX 8 – includes free access to more than 1,400 on-demand selections, including movies, TV shows and international selections, as well as audio playlists, podcasts and games.

The entertainment system is translated into 16 different languages, including Japanese, Chinese (traditional) and Chinese (simplified), and movies and TV shows from across the globe are available in various languages in audio or subtitles. United is increasing the amount of content with languages that are more relevant to the region, such as Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean and Japanese. 

Customers can check which content is available before their flight. Full seasons of select Apple TV+ global hits are available for free on the airline's seatback screens and in the United app, including award-winning shows such as Severance, Shrinking, Ted Lasso, Slow Horses and Silo.

In addition, United has a first-of-its-kind collaboration with Spotify that delivers 450+ hours of audiobook and video podcast content for free.

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