United Splitting up Families (Basic Economy ticket)
Aug 28, 2018, 2:24 pm
#136
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: All of them, UA-Plat, 1MM*G
Posts: 881
The analogy to the family situation is as follows. Suppose you break your leg and are put in a cast that does not permit you to sit in a E- seat without your leg protruding into the aisle. The flight is full. Is UA now required to move you to E+ and bump an E+ pax back to E- ? Similarly with Passengers of Size. If they can't fit in their E seat and the E cabin is full, is UA required to bump a pax off to give the PoS two seats together? Unless you say "yes" to both of these situations, you cannot argue that UA was required to seat the family together.
These are situations where your solution is to buy E+, buy F or buy two E seats.
These are situations where your solution is to buy E+, buy F or buy two E seats.
Aug 28, 2018, 2:38 pm
#137
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: SAN
Programs: Nothing, nowhere!
Posts: 23,290
The analogy to the family situation is as follows. Suppose you break your leg and are put in a cast that does not permit you to sit in a E- seat without your leg protruding into the aisle. The flight is full. Is UA now required to move you to E+ and bump an E+ pax back to E- ? Similarly with Passengers of Size. If they can't fit in their E seat and the E cabin is full, is UA required to bump a pax off to give the PoS two seats together? Unless you say "yes" to both of these situations, you cannot argue that UA was required to seat the family together.
These are situations where your solution is to buy E+, buy F or buy two E seats.
These are situations where your solution is to buy E+, buy F or buy two E seats.
Aug 28, 2018, 3:15 pm
#138
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Houston
Programs: UA 1K and Million Miler, *A Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, Hertz Five Star,
Posts: 1,301
The solution to this problem is very simple. Buy the fare and pay fees necessary to ensure all in your party sit together.
Aug 28, 2018, 3:23 pm
#139
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: alaska
Posts: 108
If it's a big deal for you to be in the same row, then make sure in advance you will be seated together. I hear a lot of people talking about being good to the elderly/children/etc; and I see airlines generally doing this, but that doesn't mean bending over backwards in every circumstance and punishing other paying customers to do so.
Aug 28, 2018, 3:43 pm
#140
Join Date: Oct 2015
Programs: SWA CP, UA MP, Hilton G, SPG G
Posts: 69
Somet subtle difference....We are not paying more to be seated with our children… Basic economy is a reduced fare.
whereas economy is the baselin fare we have always paid...
You’re not paying more to sit with your children… You’re paying less to sit alone
whereas economy is the baselin fare we have always paid...
You’re not paying more to sit with your children… You’re paying less to sit alone
Aug 28, 2018, 3:53 pm
#141
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
YY (until mid-October) is the only "real" fare and everything below that is a "reduced fare". But, so what?
Some fares are refundable, others are not. Some come with access to better seats. Others do not. Some come with seat assignments and others, e.g. BE, do not.
Then there is F, sometimes C. Soon enough PE.
People need to make choices based on their needs. If one is 6'9" E+ seems a reasonable expense. Travelling with kids? Don't do BE.
Aug 28, 2018, 4:10 pm
#142
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,386
UA wants you to think of this as a discount, instead of a surcharge, but that's psychological on their part, because people dislike surcharges more than they like discounts.
Aug 28, 2018, 5:11 pm
#143
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Colorado
Programs: UA Gold (.85 MM), HH Diamond, SPG Platinum (LT Gold), Hertz PC, National EE
Posts: 5,651
You're buying into UA's marketing spin. When they introduced BE, in the vast majority of cases, they introduced it at the previous economy price and then added a surcharge for regular economy.
UA wants you to think of this as a discount, instead of a surcharge, but that's psychological on their part, because people dislike surcharges more than they like discounts.
UA wants you to think of this as a discount, instead of a surcharge, but that's psychological on their part, because people dislike surcharges more than they like discounts.
Oh, UA will follow Jet Blue and raise baggage fees in the next week or two, but only after Delta does it.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Aug 28, 2018 at 5:15 pm Reason: Using symbols, spaces or other methods to mask vulgarities is not allowed.
Aug 28, 2018, 5:18 pm
#144
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,404
Well, they don't really, though. I just pulled up a seat map for a mainline narrowbody scheduled for April. (The weird 8F "738"). There are 6 seats listed as occupied -- 7DE, 23BC, and 25BC. Even 7F is available. So, assuming all six of those seats are held for gate assignment, the best that they can do is seat pairs of people -- and not very many, either.
Aug 28, 2018, 6:38 pm
#145
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: TX
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 729
of course you can. Cigarettes, booze, fatty foods
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Aug 28, 2018 at 6:56 pm Reason: merging consecutive posts by same member
Aug 28, 2018, 7:09 pm
#147
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: What I write is my opinion alone..don't read into it anything not written.
Posts: 9,686
A distinction without a meaning.
YY (until mid-October) is the only "real" fare and everything below that is a "reduced fare". But, so what?
Some fares are refundable, others are not. Some come with access to better seats. Others do not. Some come with seat assignments and others, e.g. BE, do not.
Then there is F, sometimes C. Soon enough PE.
People need to make choices based on their needs. If one is 6'9" E+ seems a reasonable expense. Travelling with kids? Don't do BE.
YY (until mid-October) is the only "real" fare and everything below that is a "reduced fare". But, so what?
Some fares are refundable, others are not. Some come with access to better seats. Others do not. Some come with seat assignments and others, e.g. BE, do not.
Then there is F, sometimes C. Soon enough PE.
People need to make choices based on their needs. If one is 6'9" E+ seems a reasonable expense. Travelling with kids? Don't do BE.
Last edited by fastair; Aug 28, 2018 at 7:33 pm
Aug 28, 2018, 7:13 pm
#148
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,386
No; IDB protection only applies if the flight is oversold.
I think that was intentional, the idea being that even a full Y fare (e.g., YUA) represents a discount from the YY fares, which are going away in October.
I think that was intentional, the idea being that even a full Y fare (e.g., YUA) represents a discount from the YY fares, which are going away in October.
Aug 28, 2018, 8:03 pm
#149
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Raleigh
Programs: United GS 2MM,, Marriott/Starwood Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 754
Thankfully in 2.3 million miles on UA I’ve never been victim
to such issues.
to such issues.
Aug 28, 2018, 9:15 pm
#150
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 3
Unfortunately, airlines put programs in place before realizing the unintended consequences, and passengers book these fares thinking they can
game the system. I'm hearing that BE has been a failure, and AA has already modified the rules, UA to probably follow.
The baggage charge program has created a nightmare for GA's and FA's with frequent demands at the gate that require gate checks, and onboard
delays while people try to place oversize bags in the OH, while FA's try to jam them in, sometimes with no success. Airlines thought they would
probably save money with fewer ramp people required with fewer pit bags, but now some flights need several ramp folks to get gate check bags
down the jetway stairs and into the pit. Meanwhile, flights take delays with the baggage issue.
The term 'race to the bottom' has been heard regarding the B-E experiment; that term rings true. After tales like heard in this topic, I assume the
Big 3 will quietly drop the program, or keep modifying it (i.e. families travelling with children) so it becomes meaningless.
game the system. I'm hearing that BE has been a failure, and AA has already modified the rules, UA to probably follow.
The baggage charge program has created a nightmare for GA's and FA's with frequent demands at the gate that require gate checks, and onboard
delays while people try to place oversize bags in the OH, while FA's try to jam them in, sometimes with no success. Airlines thought they would
probably save money with fewer ramp people required with fewer pit bags, but now some flights need several ramp folks to get gate check bags
down the jetway stairs and into the pit. Meanwhile, flights take delays with the baggage issue.
The term 'race to the bottom' has been heard regarding the B-E experiment; that term rings true. After tales like heard in this topic, I assume the
Big 3 will quietly drop the program, or keep modifying it (i.e. families travelling with children) so it becomes meaningless.