WineCountryUA answered the OP question correctly, namely the fare rules required both L and B inventory, but that the app and some agents will truncate this to B inventory (we think, not sure if anyone has tried this specific case, but other dual-inventory fares have worked this way in the past).
Originally Posted by
sexykitten7
I'm confused. Are you saying that B LAX2PKIN should be a PE fare due to the I? Because to my non-expert eyes, it looks like a coach fare that books into coach (B). I thought the only PE rev buckets were OAR? Also UA doesn't have Main Cabin. I'm assuming you meant Economy?
It is a Premium Economy type fare (ZOA) which is meaningful in basically zero ways that affect the passenger.
United uses fares with 'I' in 7th position to convey an Economy Plus entitlement at booking and thereby market an "Economy Plus" fare. I believe the backend logic is "fare type is Premium Economy, primary rbd is B, then permit seat selection in Economy Plus".
To actually sit in a true Premium Economy cabin (Premium Plus on UA metal), you do indeed require a primary rbd of O, A, or R. These fares have an 'O' in 7th position.
For example, compare this "Economy Plus" fare on SFO-EWR:
Code:
V FARE BASIS BK FARE TRAVEL-TICKET AP MINMAX RTG
1 KAA4PHIN B‡X 267.00 ---- 14/1 -/ - 1
PASSENGER TYPE-ADT AUTO PRICE-YES
FROM-SFO TO-EWR CXR-UA TVL-12MAR22 RULE-EIH2 DFR/11
FARE BASIS-KAA4PHIN SPECIAL FARE DIS-N VENDOR-ATP
FARE TYPE-ZOA OW-PREMIUM ECON OW APEX NON-REFUNDABLE
USD 248.37 0001 E09OCT20 D-INFINITY FC-KAA4PHIN FN-P9
SYSTEM DATES - CREATED 07MAR22/1930 EXPIRES INFINITY
PUBLISHED RTG SFO-EWR/UA1 /TAR-DRG1 EF-07MAR22 DIS-INDEF
TRAVEL MUST BE NONSTOP
.
to this actual PE fare (books into R):
Code:
V FARE BASIS BK FARE TRAVEL-TICKET AP MINMAX RTG
1 KAA4PHON R‡X 287.00 ---- 14/1 -/ - 596
PASSENGER TYPE-ADT AUTO PRICE-YES
FROM-SFO TO-EWR CXR-UA TVL-12MAR22 RULE-PEH2 DFR/11
FARE BASIS-KAA4PHON SPECIAL FARE DIS-N VENDOR-ATP
FARE TYPE-ZON OW-PREMIUM ECON SELL-UP OW NON-REF
USD 266.98 0596 E09OCT20 D-INFINITY FC-KAA4PHON FN-P9
SYSTEM DATES - CREATED 07MAR22/1930 EXPIRES INFINITY
PUBLISHED RTG SFO-EWR/UA596 /TAR-DRG1 EF-07MAR22 DIS-INDEF
MAP CONSTRUCTED LEFT TO RIGHT AND RIGHT TO LEFT
1. SFO-SFO/LAX-EWR
2. SFO-EWR
.
Both require K space as well.
Originally Posted by
sexykitten7
And to piggyback off of WC, IMO the fare basis and booking code match 99% of the time so I think that's a reasonable expectation for the public. Granted, I don't spend hundreds (yes I said hundreds and not thousands) on fancy Y-UP tickets like some of you! Proud to say I finished last year with 59 PQP :O
A reasonable expectation of the public is that they don't even pay attention to the little letter next to "United Economy", let alone that they have any idea what a fare basis is or that the first letter should match their rbd.
Domestic First fares have used differential pricing for over a decade, as have Basic Economy fares since their inception. Many international PE fares are now priced differentially as well, meaning maybe 60% of pax are flying with a fare basis that matches their rbd.