United to add enhancements and technology

Several major U.S. carriers are spiffing up their premium-class cabins. United is spending $165 million to upgrade its United First Suite on international wide-body aircraft beginning in the fourth quarter of 2007. The new United First Suite seat will be nearly three inches wider than the current one, and it will recline to a fully flat six-foot, six-inch bed. Each suite will have an entertainment system with a 15.4-inch widescreen flat panel monitor and on-demand digital video and music, including movies, TV programs, video games and 50 channels of XM-branded audio content. Other amenities include a 110-volt universal plug for laptop power; a USB port to charge personal electronic devices; noise-canceling headphones; and an Apple iPod connector, so customers can recharge their iPods and play their own music and video through the suite’s entertainment unit.