Jul 1, 2013, 9:03 am
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Revenue buckets
J - Full Fare Business
C - Discount Business
D - Discount Business
Z - Deep Discount Business
P - Deep Discount Business
O - Full Fare PremiumPlus (Premium Economy)
A - Discount PremiumPlus (Premium Economy)
R - Deep Discount PremiumPlus (Premium Economy)
Y - Full Fare Coach
B - Full Fare Coach
M - Discount Coach
E - Discount Coach
U - Discount Coach
H - Discount Coach
Q - Discount Coach
V - Discount Coach
W - Deep Discount Coach
S - Deep Discount Coach
T - Deep Discount Coach
L - Deep Discount Coach
K - Deep Discount Coach
G - Deep Discount Coach
N - Basic Economy
Saver Award Inventory
IN - Elite (Plat/1K/GS) Saver Business or 2-cabin First Award
I - Non-Elite and Low Elite Saver Business or 2-cabin First Award
XN - Elite Saver Coach Award. Also available to Chase Gateway, Explorer, Quest, and United Club Visa cardholders as an undocumented benefit
X - Non-Elite Saver Coach Award
"Everyday" Award Inventory
JN - Elite/CC Everyday Business or 2-cabin First Award (may be open to all MP members )
ZN - Non-Elite Everyday Business or 2-cabin First Award (tracks to the Z bucket) (not clear if still used for award travel). Also used for buy-up upgrade offered at check-in. May be a factor in Skip-the-Waitliist availability
ON - Everyday PremiumPlus (Premium Economy) Award
YN - Elite/CC Everyday Coach Award (may be open to all MP members)
HN - Non-Elite Everyday Coach Award (tracks to the H bucket) (not clear this is still used)
Upgrade Inventory
PN - Y/B/M 1K Instant Upgrades (CPU eligible routes only); All GS sponsored upgrades Y->J (CPU, PlusPoints, miles)
PZ - Upgrades to Polaris Business, United Business, or United First (excepting GS sponsored upgrades and 1K Instant Upgrades)
RN - Upgrades to Premium Plus
Points earning for all upgrades is based on the originally purchased fare. Also see below.
Upgrades Note that upgraded flights will post to your MileagePlus statement as Z(X) where the second letter (X) is the original booking class. The parenthetical letter defines the earning rate for the flight as points are earned based on the original booking class.
How to read inventory numbers:
Why does J8C5D3Z0P0 mean?
The zero inventory is easy to explain, UA is presently unwilling to sell tickets using inventory in that fare class.
Does J8C5D3 mean there are 16 seats for sale? No -- there are just 8 available seats.
Inventory in a fare class is not additive but the lower fare classes are subsets of the higher fare classes
If UA sells / upgrades 1 seat in the premium fare class, the Inventory will like change to J7C4D2.
The J inventory is the total number of seats for sale in business/first. While C,D,Z, P ... are the number of seats UA is willing to sell in those lower fare classes
Going back to J8C5D3Z0P0, if you want 4 seats on a single PNR, you will have to purchase C fare, as there isn't enough inventory for D fare for everyone on the PNR and everyone on a common PNR must have the same fare class / fare basis.
In some cases, if a lower cabin is oversold, UA will then block, remove from inventory in the higher cabin to protect against the oversale.
Note the largest number for a UA fare class in public displays is 9 (some airlines limit to just 4), this prevents revealing too much information to the competitors or the public.
Award and upgrade inventory are also subsets on their respective cabin inventory
Management of inventory and maximizing revenue is the role of Revenue Management (RM), a highly secretive, proprietary operation of the airlines -- So inventory changes (within the physical limitations of the aircraft) will be dynamic and can change without notice as determine by RM
Archive thread: Decoding the alphabet soup - fare buckets for UA {Archive}
E - Discount Coach
U - Discount Coach
H - Discount Coach
Q - Discount Coach
V - Discount Coach
W - Deep Discount Coach
S - Deep Discount Coach
T - Deep Discount Coach
L - Deep Discount Coach
K - Deep Discount Coach
G - Deep Discount Coach
N - Basic Economy
Saver Award Inventory
IN - Elite (Plat/1K/GS) Saver Business or 2-cabin First Award
I - Non-Elite and Low Elite Saver Business or 2-cabin First Award
XN - Elite Saver Coach Award. Also available to Chase Gateway, Explorer, Quest, and United Club Visa cardholders as an undocumented benefit
X - Non-Elite Saver Coach Award
"Everyday" Award Inventory
JN - Elite/CC Everyday Business or 2-cabin First Award (may be open to all MP members )
ZN - Non-Elite Everyday Business or 2-cabin First Award (tracks to the Z bucket) (not clear if still used for award travel). Also used for buy-up upgrade offered at check-in. May be a factor in Skip-the-Waitliist availability
ON - Everyday PremiumPlus (Premium Economy) Award
YN - Elite/CC Everyday Coach Award (may be open to all MP members)
HN - Non-Elite Everyday Coach Award (tracks to the H bucket) (not clear this is still used)
Upgrade Inventory
PN - Y/B/M 1K Instant Upgrades (CPU eligible routes only); All GS sponsored upgrades Y->J (CPU, PlusPoints, miles)
PZ - Upgrades to Polaris Business, United Business, or United First (excepting GS sponsored upgrades and 1K Instant Upgrades)
RN - Upgrades to Premium Plus
Points earning for all upgrades is based on the originally purchased fare. Also see below.
Upgrades Note that upgraded flights will post to your MileagePlus statement as Z(X) where the second letter (X) is the original booking class. The parenthetical letter defines the earning rate for the flight as points are earned based on the original booking class.
How to read inventory numbers:
Why does J8C5D3Z0P0 mean?
The zero inventory is easy to explain, UA is presently unwilling to sell tickets using inventory in that fare class.
Does J8C5D3 mean there are 16 seats for sale? No -- there are just 8 available seats.
Inventory in a fare class is not additive but the lower fare classes are subsets of the higher fare classes
If UA sells / upgrades 1 seat in the premium fare class, the Inventory will like change to J7C4D2.
The J inventory is the total number of seats for sale in business/first. While C,D,Z, P ... are the number of seats UA is willing to sell in those lower fare classes
Going back to J8C5D3Z0P0, if you want 4 seats on a single PNR, you will have to purchase C fare, as there isn't enough inventory for D fare for everyone on the PNR and everyone on a common PNR must have the same fare class / fare basis.
In some cases, if a lower cabin is oversold, UA will then block, remove from inventory in the higher cabin to protect against the oversale.
Note the largest number for a UA fare class in public displays is 9 (some airlines limit to just 4), this prevents revealing too much information to the competitors or the public.
Award and upgrade inventory are also subsets on their respective cabin inventory
Management of inventory and maximizing revenue is the role of Revenue Management (RM), a highly secretive, proprietary operation of the airlines -- So inventory changes (within the physical limitations of the aircraft) will be dynamic and can change without notice as determine by RM
Archive thread: Decoding the alphabet soup - fare buckets for UA {Archive}
Decoding the alphabet soup - fare buckets for UA
Mar 27, 2023, 12:39 pm
#121
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,469
PN > P?
I'm looking at itineraries for an East Coast trip later this spring. For one of the flights I'm likely to select, I'm seeing the following fare bucket availability: J9 JN9 C9 D4 Z0 ZN0 P0 PN6 PZ0 IN0 Y9 ...
I don't think I've ever seen a situation in which PN > P ... nor does it make sense to me. Am I missing something, or is this a united.combug feature? 
I'm looking at itineraries for an East Coast trip later this spring. For one of the flights I'm likely to select, I'm seeing the following fare bucket availability: J9 JN9 C9 D4 Z0 ZN0 P0 PN6 PZ0 IN0 Y9 ...
I don't think I've ever seen a situation in which PN > P ... nor does it make sense to me. Am I missing something, or is this a united.com
edit: haha, fastest for once!
Mar 27, 2023, 12:40 pm
#122
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.997MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,859
Is this a connecting trip, if so the P inventory is for the entire trip and the PN is just for the segment.
Try searching the segment only.
Try searching the segment only.
Mar 27, 2023, 12:45 pm
#123
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Pasadena, California
Programs: UA 1K, 1MM
Posts: 10,412
Ah, thanks! That indeed appears to be what is happening here. I didn't realize that one fare class could be referencing only one leg of an itinerary while another is taking the whole itinerary into account. 
I'm searching for LAX-BWI. It's the LAX-ORD leg of that itinerary where PN > P. When searching on LAX-ORD only P = PN = 0, which makes sense. ORD-BWI has P9 PN6 P0. But does that make sense when combined on one itinerary?
I'm searching for LAX-BWI. It's the LAX-ORD leg of that itinerary where PN > P. When searching on LAX-ORD only P = PN = 0, which makes sense. ORD-BWI has P9 PN6 P0. But does that make sense when combined on one itinerary?
Mar 27, 2023, 12:50 pm
#124
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.997MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,859
Ah, thanks! That indeed appears to be what is happening here. I didn't realize that one fare class could be referencing only one leg of an itinerary while another is taking the whole itinerary into account.
I'm searching for LAX-BWI. It's the LAX-ORD leg of that itinerary where PN > P. When searching on LAX-ORD only P = PN = 0, which makes sense. ORD-BWI has P9 PN6 P0. But does that make sense when combined on one itinerary?
I'm searching for LAX-BWI. It's the LAX-ORD leg of that itinerary where PN > P. When searching on LAX-ORD only P = PN = 0, which makes sense. ORD-BWI has P9 PN6 P0. But does that make sense when combined on one itinerary?
And only ORD-BWI can be upgraded now -- LAX-ORD would be waitlisted.
Mar 27, 2023, 12:55 pm
#125
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Pasadena, California
Programs: UA 1K, 1MM
Posts: 10,412
I'm certainly not looking to purchase a P fare (one drawback to government travel).
It's more that I was just curious and looking to use FT to further my knowledge of United's system. Thanks again!
Mar 27, 2023, 1:42 pm
#126
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,417
All of the "regular" inventory classes show the married segment availability -- i.e., they show what you can actually buy. That is, they necessarily take both legs into account and offer you the inventory on the pair. (This may be entirely independent of the availability on either leg if purchased separately). The PN and PZ buckets, which you can't buy directly anyway, show the underlying values for the individual leg.
This is a huge timesaver for anyone who is interested in upgrades on connecting flights, because often we care more about one leg or the other. I don't care about upgrades on AUS-IAH/DEN/ORD at all, and I only marginally care about them on AUS-SFO/LAX/EWR/IAD. But I very much care about upgrade availability on TATL/TPAC segments I might connect to those flights.
Being able to do one single search and get meaningful answers for many different possible combinations is a huge win.
Aug 10, 2023, 8:17 pm
#127
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: N/A
Programs: UA AA and more
Posts: 353
Expert mode fare classes
I'm quite sure it's somewhere in this forum, but I can't seem to find it.
What is ON fare class?
What is ON fare class?
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Aug 10, 2023 at 11:12 pm Reason: moved to master thread
Nov 28, 2023, 9:02 am
#130
Join Date: May 2012
Location: ORF, RIC
Programs: UA LT 1K, 3 MM; Marriott Titanium; IHG Platinum
Posts: 6,958
I see that Premium Plus fare on oversea segment is accompanied by either domestic B or Y fare. UA can charge more for premium economy purchases with limited B availability for the domestic connection flights. This is just my guess and may not answer your question.
Nov 28, 2023, 9:09 am
#131
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,423
I'm seeing B correspond to the number of unassigned E+.
It is slowly becoming a fare class that represents Economy Plus as a class-of-service (sort of).
It is slowly becoming a fare class that represents Economy Plus as a class-of-service (sort of).
Nov 28, 2023, 9:47 am
#132
Join Date: May 2012
Location: ORF, RIC
Programs: UA LT 1K, 3 MM; Marriott Titanium; IHG Platinum
Posts: 6,958
Look like the most plausible answer to me. I search some flights (IAD-SFO for today), B bucket is equal to the number of E+ seats.
Nov 28, 2023, 1:07 pm
#133
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Join Date: Nov 2014
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Based on my research, note that unassigned blocked seats (7DE on most narrowbodies) are including in the "available" count.
Nov 28, 2023, 4:19 pm
#134
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 2,281
Yes - because anything booked in B enables E+ seat selection for no charge. Probably six months or so ago (this year went by too fast) B inventory was updated to link to the number of E+ seats remaining to prevent the issue of selling a "E+" (-IN) fare when no E+ seats were available for selection.
Nov 28, 2023, 6:41 pm
#135
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,423