United Airlines is preparing for the launch of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker with a special edition Star Wars-themed plane.
The Boeing 737-800 plane will take off in November, completely refurbished with Star Wars-themed livery as an intergalactic treat to fans ahead of the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in cinemas in December. Different coloured lightsabers will be painted on each side of the tail, reflecting the two sides of the Force, while the body will feature imagery of the X-wing and TIE fighter starships. In addition, the interior of the plane will feature headrests affixed with the emblems of the film's duelling factions, the Resistance and the First Order.
United will greet customers with classic Star Wars-themed music during boarding and will distribute commemorative pins to everyone on board. Passengers will be treated to Star Wars-themed amenity kits and an in-flight demonstration video featuring characters from the new film. It's probably the next best thing to riding the Millennium Falcon though unfortunately Hans Solo and Chewbacca won't be piloting the journey.
While not everyone will have the chance to fly on board the plane, fans will be able to track United's Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker-themed aircraft through a special icon on FlightAware. To track it, they just need to enter the plane's tail number and the new livery will appear on FlightAware's flight tracking maps as the X-Wing starship.
"United Airlines and the Star Wars franchise share a common goal: connect people and unite the world," said Mark Krolick, United's vice president of marketing. "We are thrilled to join forces and help promote the concluding chapter of the Skywalker story, while at the same time enlisting help from our new friends from the Star Wars universe to demonstrate the importance of safety for our customers and colleagues."
QUIZ: Where in the Star Wars universe should you go on vacation?
From now, MileagePlus Exclusives members will be able to bid award miles on several unique Star Wars experiences including: access to attend the premieres of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in Los Angeles and London; travel packages for four to visit Star Wars filming locations in Jordan and special collectors packages. You can find out more through MileagePlus Exclusives.
Details on the inaugural flight have yet to be revealed but you can stay up-to-date here.
