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

Voluntary - no. You do not get to chose you seat, UA will do that. Occasionally, such as minor children, you may be able to request a change

UA sometimes will start assigning BE seats about 2 days out and other times not til check-in or even at the gate. Suspect a less full flight UA will start earlier. UA has a lot of information that is not public. How many have BE, how many regular economy that have not yet chosen a seat assignment, how many are eligible for Economy Plus, how many last minute tickets are purchased, .... those and other factors will impact what UA does.

There can be a lot of seat assignment changes in the last 24 hours.

• 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.

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.

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

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.

Evidently, I didn't wait long enough. Originally, I tried to upgrade and got "This ticket is not eligible for upgrade." All good now. It wasn't "Basic Economy", but she couldn't select seats; they were assigned, and couldn't be changed, so that's why I thought it was BE.

Either that, or United hates my wife. :D Still not accepting her seat assignments for our STL-ORD-CDG September trip. Showing as open on EF, too.

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.

Changeability is another significant downside to BE.
And as mention free advance seat selection

$60 incremental for a TPAC and gain the above is a personal choice.

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.

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.

Have the friend board with you during preboard or group 1. It should be fine then. If the friend waits to group 5 the agent will be primed to deny.

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.

They might want to charge if the BE passenger is gate checking, but otherwise, no, they won't tend to try collecting a charge.

Is there a way to defeat most of the BE restrictions with 1K and UA credit cards? Doesn't seem like there is.

Status allows a checked bag and carryon, What other restriction are you trying to avoid? E+ selection, upgrades or changeability, those are a no go. If status waived everything, it makes BE price discount meaningless

More here, https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...onomy.html#mpp