Maybe stating the obvious, but at a certain level of travel, the Economy Plus subscription starts to make some sense. United asks $1,100 for an annual pass allowing the member and eight companions to reserve Economy Plus at booking for flights within the lower 48 states ($1,300 for access globally). It's a lot of money to lay out at once, but for a larger family that would otherwise be looking at $140 per flight upcharge for Economy Plus, the subscription can start to make sense at a relatively modest level of travel.