Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Related thread: Basic Economy Airport and Plane Experiences (First or Second Hand)
If purchased on united.com you will have to accept a warning about choosing Basic Economy and there will be orange "Basic Economy" highlights everywhere during the booking process.
Link to UA's description of how these fares will work: Basic Economy.
Here are the key facts:
To avoid domestic BE fares ITA Matrix ~bc=N . Ignoring them on international flights is much trickier because they do not have a consistent pattern in the fare basis; it appears to change by market / region. (That said, as UA is lifting BE from legacy GDS systems, it may result in them disappearing from ITA Matrix anyway).
Google Flights -- select 1 Carry-on bag
NO UNUSED TICKET MAY BE USED TOWARD THE PURCHASE
OF A BASIC ECONOMY TICKET.
-------
NO RESIDUAL VALUE MAY BE USED TOWARD THE PURCHASE
OF A BASIC ECONOMY TICKET.
How is this different from buying up BE to regular economy?
related threads
New UA/*A TATL -LGT Economy fare - no free first bag, no changes/upgrades allowed
Benefit impact of restricted economy fares on UA Elites (Basic Econ, -LGT, Light Econ
Pre-announcement speculation thread (now closed) New "Budget Economy" fares
United's Basic Economy - Discussion, Q&A, ... {Archive}
If purchased on united.com you will have to accept a warning about choosing Basic Economy and there will be orange "Basic Economy" highlights everywhere during the booking process.
Link to UA's description of how these fares will work: Basic Economy.
Here are the key facts:
- No free seat assignments until check-in. Seats will be assigned by the system. Flyers (including elite) have the option to purchase regular economy and preferred economy (white seats with black triangle on seat map) seats after ticket purchase. E+ seats are not available for purchase until check-in. If you don’t purchase an advance seat assignment, your seat will be automatically assigned to you prior to boarding, and you won't be able to change your seat once it's been assigned.
- No guarantee of adjacent seats with companions
- No voluntary ticket changes after 24 hour purchase period including SDC (occasionally 1K's have successfully used Same Day Standby and received a confirmed seat without penalty)
- Carry on limited to one personal item unless the customer is a MP Premier member, primary cardmember of a qualifying MileagePlus credit card, or Star Alliance *G, or traveling on an international BE product
- Customers ineligible for carry-on who bring one to the gate will be charged a $25 convenience fee to gate-check in addition to standard baggage fees (source: @united twitter)
- Customers are not eligible for premium cabin upgrades either via CPU, mileage upgrade award or PlusPoints
- Customers will board in the last boarding group (currently Group 5) unless the customer is a MP Premier member, primary cardmember of a qualifying MileagePlus credit card, or Star Alliance *G, or traveling on an international BE product
- Companions on same PNR will have same boarding group and carry-on if one on the PNR has a waiver
- No combinability with regular economy fares or partner carriers. Interline travel is not permitted.
- Normal PQPs / RDMs based on fare and elite multipliers
- No PQFs
- Flight(s) do count towards the 4 flight minimum for UA-operated
- Full Lifetime mileage
- Domestic Basic Economy tickets will use booking code 'N'. International BE can be in any class.
- Online check-in only with paid checked bag, otherwise need to see a United representative to verify the onboard bag allowance and receive a boarding pass
- Canceling a basic economy ticket will receive a flight credit for the price of the ticket, minus a fee. For domestic flights, the fee is $49.50 for one-way tickets and $99 for roundtrip tickets. For international flights, the fee is $99.50 for one-way tickets and $199 for roundtrip tickets
To avoid domestic BE fares ITA Matrix ~bc=N . Ignoring them on international flights is much trickier because they do not have a consistent pattern in the fare basis; it appears to change by market / region. (That said, as UA is lifting BE from legacy GDS systems, it may result in them disappearing from ITA Matrix anyway).
Google Flights -- select 1 Carry-on bag
NO UNUSED TICKET MAY BE USED TOWARD THE PURCHASE
OF A BASIC ECONOMY TICKET.
-------
NO RESIDUAL VALUE MAY BE USED TOWARD THE PURCHASE
OF A BASIC ECONOMY TICKET.
How is this different from buying up BE to regular economy?
related threads
New UA/*A TATL -LGT Economy fare - no free first bag, no changes/upgrades allowed
Benefit impact of restricted economy fares on UA Elites (Basic Econ, -LGT, Light Econ
Pre-announcement speculation thread (now closed) New "Budget Economy" fares
United's Basic Economy - Discussion, Q&A, ... {Archive}
United's Basic Economy - Discussion, Q&A, ...Now cancellable for a fee
#61
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 153
Economy Basic Seating
Hi all! I have read some conflicting information about seat assignments for economy basic on United. Do they allow changes within the economy zone at check-in?
I bought a seat for my return flight (about 12 days from now) but it looks like they just assigned one for my outgoing (2 days from now). Does that mean everyone currently ticketed has also been assigned?
Thanks,
Sean
I bought a seat for my return flight (about 12 days from now) but it looks like they just assigned one for my outgoing (2 days from now). Does that mean everyone currently ticketed has also been assigned?
Thanks,
Sean
Last edited by Seanish; Mar 27, 2022 at 6:59 am
#62
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,854
- Airline employees can travel for free but can not get a seat assignment until day of travel However they are very aware of how to read the read seatmap and pick the best available seats
- People whose travel gets messed up can get assigned to your flight
- People on other flights will scan for a flight with empty seats and switch for free in the last 24 hours
- The seats with black triangle in the lower left hand corner become free to any non-BE passenger in the last 24 hours -- so some stuck further back may move forward
- The lowest level elite, Silver, will initially pick a regular economy seat but move to Economy Plus in the last 24 hours (when their access becomes free)
- .... and other less frequent reasons
Not having BE ticket gives others more choices / freedom to move about.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Mar 27, 2022 at 1:51 pm Reason: more
#63
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: St. Louis, MO, USA
Programs: AA PPro, Mariott Gold Elite, Lowly kettle across every other loyalty program.
Posts: 778
MDW has a Q class ticket for a work trip (thanks, Concur.) Can this ticket be upgraded for cash? Only thing we can't do is buy another ticket.
#64
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,048
This is a Q-class BE ticket? Is it showing Q or N as the booking class? N will be problematic to upgrade; Q should be no problem
#65
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 42
I assume it is a TATL or TPAC ticket, since N is not the booking class? If it's BE, can't be upgraded, regardless of booking class.
#66
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: St. Louis, MO, USA
Programs: AA PPro, Mariott Gold Elite, Lowly kettle across every other loyalty program.
Posts: 778
Either that, or United hates my wife. Still not accepting her seat assignments for our STL-ORD-CDG September trip. Showing as open on EF, too.
#67
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
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Posts: 19,900
Is there any situation where it may make sense to buy basic economy tpac fare when the price difference is about $60 with regular economy? I think it doesn't earn PQF except for the four UA segments. I know there is no free seat selection, but is there any way around this? I want to have money whenever j can, but if it doesn't make any sense ill cough up the money and buy economy. I'm currently a UA Silver.
#68
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,854
And as mention free advance seat selection
$60 incremental for a TPAC and gain the above is a personal choice.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Apr 5, 2022 at 9:38 am
#69
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 3,031
So I'm flying regular economy as a 1K and have a friend flying BE on the same flight as me on different PNRs. I was just going to check in my friend's bag under my baggage allowance, but wondering if the check in or gate agents would allow them to bring it on since effectively UA has to carry it anyway. Airport agents on all airlines, including where I have no status, have usually been cooperative in doing seat assignments on BE tickets even though they are not supposed to, so I wonder if they will accommodate the carry on bag as well, or at worst, gate check it on my PNR for free as 1K.
#70
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 2,531
My guess is they won't let your friend carry on unless it is a VERY empty flight and it wouldn't force someone else (not BE) to gate check.
It doesn't hurt to ask but I wouldn't count on it!
Shouldn't have a problem checking it under your name either at the counter or at the gate.
It doesn't hurt to ask but I wouldn't count on it!
Shouldn't have a problem checking it under your name either at the counter or at the gate.
#71
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,461
So I'm flying regular economy as a 1K and have a friend flying BE on the same flight as me on different PNRs. I was just going to check in my friend's bag under my baggage allowance, but wondering if the check in or gate agents would allow them to bring it on since effectively UA has to carry it anyway. Airport agents on all airlines, including where I have no status, have usually been cooperative in doing seat assignments on BE tickets even though they are not supposed to, so I wonder if they will accommodate the carry on bag as well, or at worst, gate check it on my PNR for free as 1K.
#72
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 3,031
My guess is they won't let your friend carry on unless it is a VERY empty flight and it wouldn't force someone else (not BE) to gate check.
It doesn't hurt to ask but I wouldn't count on it!
Shouldn't have a problem checking it under your name either at the counter or at the gate.
It doesn't hurt to ask but I wouldn't count on it!
Shouldn't have a problem checking it under your name either at the counter or at the gate.
I think it's a pretty empty flight fwiw.
#73
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,461
Thanks, makes sense! Will they try to charge me for gate checking the bag? I know I won't be charged if I check it in in advance, but not sure what the rules are around gate checking. Like obviously everyone can't just try to gate check. I guess I could try to ask a check in agent...
I think it's a pretty empty flight fwiw.
I think it's a pretty empty flight fwiw.
#75
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,854
More here, https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...onomy.html#mpp