Kacee

Still not offered on random routes. E.g., SFO-SNA.

FlyngSvyr

Not true, I just searched a random flight for 9/6 SFO-SNA & the BE option came up. It looks like the changeover date for that route is in the next week or so, as flights for tomorrow are not offered in BE, but a few weeks out they start to show up.

I have not seen it on International flights, Mexico, Canada & those to Hawaii. It does show up on Flights to Anchorage, which would be domestic.

I think it might be only on domestic flights, but I frankly don't have time to search all the possible combinations.
Just push all your searches out to September & I think you will see it currently on all domestic flights by then.

Kacee

Search next week. Not offered. Appears to begin June 17.

FlyngSvyr

A mere technicality

I think it is fair to say BE will be on ALL domestic markets within days/weeks if it is not not there already.

emcampbe

flew to YYZ on the may long weekend, and definitely wasn't available then. G5 didn't have anyone in it (at lest ex-ORD - wasn't paying attention for the way back). But I've done other searches to YYZ since then, and BE wasn't an option on them.

WineCountryUA

UA has stated that BE fares are now available (but service may have not started yet) in all domestic markets except Hawaii -- no date for Hawaii BE has been made public.

findark

BE has been available on SFO-SNA since at least as far back as May 30 (sales date, 7-day fare). There are no 0-day BE fares on the route which will price on a one-way basis, which is why you don't see any next week. If you do a r/t search you will see them (if return is more than 7 days out).

This is because UA does not publish a straight match N fare for any flexible fare, and all 0-day fares on SFO-SNA are flexible. The do have a same-price match for flexible fares as a r/t basis; the reason for this is combinability: it allows you to combine with a BE fare on the return since you cannot mix BE and normal fares on one ticket.

belynch

Last week boarding an e145 I waited to be near end of boarding (if I don't have to stow a carry-on my goal is to be last on the plane since I find being in the terminal more comfortable). After BG4 boards the GA gets on and says "anyone gate checking a bag will be charged, please see an agent" and proceeds to call BG5.

I get at the end of the line with my gate check bag and when I approach the podium the gate agent stops me and asks why I didn't check my bag. I explained I have a green tag and should be all set. He then tells me that even though its an RJ he has to "check" my bag and charge me. I tell him I'm in BG1 and when he scans my boarding pass it should show him I'm not to be charged. He says the instructions were clear that "everyone boarding after BG4 gets charged," apparently missing the point I'm not actually in BG5.

We went back and forth for a couple minutes and he eventually lets me board and drop my gate check without charging me. This was an out-sourced station (ROC).

The inconvenience of trying to do business with UA seems to get worse by the day.

ETA: I wasn't on a BE fare.

findark

SFO-MSP today and as part of the "we will be boarding soon" announcement it was stated that anyone in Group 5 is allowed only a personal item. Definitely seems like it is being taught to GAs this way; no mention of "Basic Economy" during the announcement.

I had a carry-on so I did not stick around to see what it was like.

FlyngSvyr

Good point, I guess that is the one exception.

Sometimes I forget that Hawaii is still part of the 50

lonelycrowd

My companion and I were seated together on a recent BE fare. It seemed like other BE customers were seated in close proximity to their companions.

OLCI worked fine for me. (Perhaps *G BE customers are treated differently.) One thing I noticed is that BE boarding passes retrieved through the UA app will be notated as BE and have an orange background, whereas those loaded into the iPhone's mobile wallet will have the usual blue background and no mention of being BE fares.

I can also confirm that my BE ticket credited to my *A FFP with the usual elite qualifying mileage associated with the N fare bucket.

IAH-OIL-TRASH

1K experience with $68 IAH-LAS UA 230 today. Got normal "Check in for you flight" text at T-23. Checked in at T-11 using app - checked bag and was assigned 8F on 737. Mobile BP has "Basic Economy" and image is dominantly red (I guess for GA to distinguish), and has Group 1.

There were 2 unassigned E- seats at about T-36. Don't know how many opened as Silvers moved up at check in. Still a few E+ middle seats open, so BE fares aren't necessarily relegated to those as E- fills up.

Syzygies

Do late gate-checks slow departure? I've seen $1,000/minute estimates for the cost of the delay, this could be part of the intended revenue advantages to United for Basic Economy.

Of course, any terminal with those United iPads in the restaurants, one has a ready excuse that the iPads lie about the departure time. If boarding begins at 8:00 and ends at 8:30, the iPad will state a boarding time of 8:15. Presumably to keep pressure off restaurants that can't deliver timely food, but bad information, still, and entirely deliberately so.

Kacee

Not as much as pax blocking the aisle trying to find a space for their carry-on. That's why GAs are always trying to force gate-checks, and why the single salutary effect of these fares is to speed the boarding process.

trekwars2000

Perhaps a naïve question, but I can't tell from the wording on "no bags except for a carry on for premier members and those with CCs". Did you have to pay to check your bag?