by Krish Patel

United Express is the regional subsidiary under United Airlines. With aircraft from both Embraer and Bombardier, United Express has many jets with less than 100 seats across First Class and Economy. The airline operates several daily flights between the U.S. capital, Washington D.C., and the largest U.S. city, New York. Many of UAL’s services between IAD and LGA see the ERJ-175, which is what I had the chance to fly on a recent flight in Economy.

On the Ground 

At Washington Dulles International Airport, the check-in area for all airlines is located on one level, UAL being included.

If you’re flying with United in Economy, you can check-in at the dedicated Economy Class check-in lane, however, it’s also possible to use the bag drop shortcut if you’ve checked in on the mobile United app. 

Past the check-in facility and down an escalator is the TSA security checkpoint, which wasn’t crowded and took less than 10 minutes to pass through.

United’s Economy Class passengers board in groups 3 and 4. Many of the airline’s regional flights depart from the Z Gates at IAD, including ours to NYC. There isn’t much seating near the gate, so be prepared to stand if all the seats are taken up. The gate staff were friendly and professional, and carry-on luggage wasn’t strictly monitored.

Cabin and Seat

The United Express E175 features Economy seats arranged in a 2-2 configuration, which makes sense due to the narrow aisle on the ERJ. Overhead bins are above each seat, and they’re well-sized as far as overhead bins on a regional jet.

The seat itself is quite comfortable for just under an hour and offers 31 inches of legroom, two inches of recline, and 18.2 inches of width.

Located in front of you is the seat pocket for inflight literature, beneath which is the tray table. The tray table can be pulled towards you for easier access.

Beneath the tray table is a second seat pocket for personal storage.

Underneath the seat in front of you is a decent amount of storage space for a small carry-on. Sadly, United hasn’t installed charging ports in Economy on the E175, and they’re only found in First Class. 

Each seat comes with a fixed armrest that houses the button for seat recline.

This Economy seat doesn’t have an adjustable headrest, however, it’s still quite plush.

Above each seat is a reading light, personal air vent, and a flight attendant call button.

At the rear of the cabin is the single lavatory shared by all Economy Class passengers. It’s not the most spacious, given that it’s on a regional jet, however, there’s just enough space for your legs and knees to stretch out.

Food and Drink

As this flight wasn’t even an hour, not much was offered in terms of food and beverages.

Shortly after takeoff, Economy Class passengers were offered a glass of water. It would have been nice if other drinks were offered, as well as a selection of complimentary snacks. But hey, some airlines won’t even provide service on a 48 minute flight!

Amenities

Not much was provided in terms of amenities as well. As expected, there’s no IFE on this jet. However, United’s streaming entertainment selection is great, with a lengthy selection of movies across multiple genres, TV shows and live TV, and audio options. While some of the TV episodes are missing from certain series, there isn't really a big issue with the streaming entertainment. Note that you’ll need to download the United app before your flight to enjoy the streaming entertainment.

Complimentary Wi-Fi was available inflight, even for Economy Class passengers. To connect, you’ll need to head to unitedwifi.com.

Provided in the seat pocket is an air sickness bag, as well as a safety card, a card with information on United’s co-branded credit cards, and the Hemispheres magazine. The magazine contains information about the airline, as well as interesting travel articles. Hemispheres is my favorite inflight magazine, and it was nice to enjoy the paper copy one last time, as United will ditch Hemispheres pretty soon.

Service

The crew on this flight were friendly and professional. I barely exchanged any words with the crew, however, the service they delivered wasn’t rushed, nor was it too slow. 

Booking and Pricing

One-way itineraries on United in Economy between IAD and LGA start at $94. You can also book your ticket using MileagePlus miles if you’re a member. United Airlines charges around 20,000 miles for a one-way flight between D.C. and New York. 

MileagePlus miles can be earned on the following personal credit cards:

• United Club Infinite Card

• United Quest Card 

• United Explorer Card 

• United Gateway Card

Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt Rewards transfer to United at a 1:1 ratio. The following cards earn credit card points that transfer to United:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve 

• Chase Sapphire Preferred

• Ink Business Preferred

• Bilt Mastercard 

Bottom Line

United’s regional Economy Class is a decent way to travel for a flight that’s less than an hour. I could certainly spend up to two and a half hours in these seats, as they’re quite plush and comfortable and offer a good amount of legroom. Service was minimal on this flight, and it would have been nice to have some snacks on offer. Amenities on this flight are also what’s expected, and United’s IFE is one of the best out there, with an endless selection. I would certainly consider United as an option in the future if I were flying regionally in Economy.