Feb 9, 2019, 5:12 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
This is an archive thread -- the active thread is United's Basic Economy - Discussion, Q&A, ...
Important Note: these fares became available 21 Feb 2017 for MSP for travel beginning 18 Apr 2017. More markets were added 19 April 2017 for travel starting 9 May 2017.
Related thread: Basic Economy Airport and Plane Experiences (First or Second Hand)
If you booked before the dates above, you did not have a BE fare. If purchased on united.com you will see a warning like:
4. MileagePlus members will earn full Premier qualifying dollars, 50% Premier qualifying miles and 0.5 Premier qualifying segments for each flight, as well as lifetime miles and toward the four-segment minimum.
Link to UA's description of how these fares will work: Basic Economy.
Here are the key facts:
related threads
New UA/*A TATL -LGT Economy fare - no free first bag, no changes/upgrades allowed
Benefit impact of restricted economy fares on UA Elites (Basic Econ, -LGT, Light Econ
Pre-announcement speculation thread (now closed) New "Budget Economy" fares
Important Note: these fares became available 21 Feb 2017 for MSP for travel beginning 18 Apr 2017. More markets were added 19 April 2017 for travel starting 9 May 2017.
Related thread: Basic Economy Airport and Plane Experiences (First or Second Hand)
If you booked before the dates above, you did not have a BE fare. If purchased on united.com you will see a warning like:
4. MileagePlus members will earn full Premier qualifying dollars, 50% Premier qualifying miles and 0.5 Premier qualifying segments for each flight, as well as lifetime miles and toward the four-segment minimum.
Link to UA's description of how these fares will work: Basic Economy.
Here are the key facts:
- No seat assignments until check-in. Seats will be assigned by the system and cannot be changed.*NEW* When purchasing a Basic Economy ticket, you will not receive a complimentary seat assignment but may be able to purchase advance seat assignments during booking and up until check-in opens. If you don’t purchase an advance seat assignment, your seat will be automatically assigned to you prior to boarding, and you won't be able to change your seat once it's been assigned.
- No guarantee of adjacent seats with companions
- No voluntary ticket changes after 24 hour purchase period
- Carry on limited to 1 personal item unless the customer is a MP Premier member, primary cardmember of a qualifying MileagePlus credit card, or Star Alliance *G
- Customers ineligible for carry-on who bring one to the gate will be charged a $25 convenience fee to gate-check in addition to standard baggage fees (source: @united twitter)
- Customers will not be eligible for Economy Plus or premium cabin upgrades. This includes all forms of upgrades (CPU,supported or purchased). Likewise for E+ access (elite or purchased).
- Customers will board in the last boarding group (currently Group 5) unless the customer is a MP Premier member, primary cardmember of a qualifying MileagePlus credit card, or Star Alliance *G
- Companions on same PNR will have same boarding group and carryon if one on the PNR has a waiver
- No combinability with regular economy fares or partner carriers. Interline travel is not permitted.
- Tickets will earn RDMs (based on fare and status), PQMs (50% of distance), PQSs (0.5), PQDs, in addition it will count for minimum 4 segment and lifetime miles (New as of Dec 2018)
- Basic Economy tickets will use booking code 'N'
- Online check-in only with paid checked bag, otherwise need to see a United representative to verify the onboard bag allowance and receive a boarding pass.
related threads
New UA/*A TATL -LGT Economy fare - no free first bag, no changes/upgrades allowed
Benefit impact of restricted economy fares on UA Elites (Basic Econ, -LGT, Light Econ
Pre-announcement speculation thread (now closed) New "Budget Economy" fares
United's Basic Economy - Discussion, Q&A, ... {Archive}
Jul 8, 2017, 1:21 pm
#2101
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: BNA
Programs: HH Gold. (Former) UA PP, DL PM, PC Plat
Posts: 8,185
There are frequently adjoining unchecked-in seats. You rarely see them because they go from being assigned to the unchecked-in passenger to being assigned to a passenger needing a seat assignment without showing as unassigned for more than a few seconds.
Jul 8, 2017, 1:59 pm
#2102
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
If i book a BE fare will they really not let my wife sit next to me - is it a possibility? Regular economy is $96 more. I could fly WN for $100 less. After a decade of 1K and now MM, these UA buttheads told me I would have lifetime benefits. If I can't even have my ill wife sit next to me...
This is the exact same calculus that I've made. For a flight beyond a couple of hours in length, I refuse to fly without a preferred seat assignment. It's not that E+ is luxurious; it's that E- is torturous. So, when I compare flight prices, I'm comparing UA's price to other carriers' price, inclusive of the benefits that UA provides. For example, if I know I'll need a bag, I include its cost when I'm searching for my flight.
Typical mainline narrowbodies have 6 seats blocked, 2 in E+ and 4 in E-. I would never tell a couple to expect to sit together on a BE ticket, but LarryJ is probably correct that the chances of it happening are closer to 50% than 10%.
Jul 8, 2017, 2:36 pm
#2103
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,470
And lest people think this is just a UA BE issue, I was today helping a friend with tickets to China. CX offered a sub $700 fare, and we know it's a good product, but they now do not permit advance seat assignments on anything except the most expensive Y fares, and that is an absolute no-go in my book. Ultimately opted for a $1400 PE fare on CI.
LH Group is now getting really bad about this, too. And BA of course is known for charging business class passengers for advance seat assignments.
Jul 8, 2017, 2:37 pm
#2104
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 14,891
If i book a BE fare will they really not let my wife sit next to me - is it a possibility? Regular economy is $96 more. I could fly WN for $100 less. After a decade of 1K and now MM, these UA buttheads told me I would have lifetime benefits. If I can't even have my ill wife sit next to me...
[STRONG]Group and family seating is not available[/STRONG]
Please note that customers traveling in a group, including families, will not be able to sit together.
Please note that customers traveling in a group, including families, will not be able to sit together.
This is also, IME to discourage people who can't sit apart, i.e. someone who is traveling with someone else who needs assistance, or a parent traveling with a small child, etc. from booking these, because they don't want to have to deal with finding a seat together last minute if they aren't available (though I think in this last case, they should just not show BE fares at all to those with child in the itinerary, but I digress)
In addition, in the section above this, when referring to seat selection not being available in advance, it also says "Your seat will be automatically assigned prior to boarding, and you won't be able to change your seat once it's been assigned." I don't know how strict the system is with this, i.e., does the system actually block an agent from making a seat change for BE pax (unless required for operational reasons), does the system allow it with some sort of supervisor approval, or whether the system allows an agent to make it like any other seat change, but they are just discouraging folks from asking.
But what is clear is that UA is saying if you buy a BE fare, don't expect to sit with your companion, and that this is a 'feature' that you won't get if you book the lowest priced ticket that is a BE fare.
Jul 8, 2017, 10:47 pm
#2105
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 don't know how strict the system is with this, i.e., does the system actually block an agent from making a seat change for BE pax (unless required for operational reasons), does the system allow it with some sort of supervisor approval, or whether the system allows an agent to make it like any other seat change, but they are just discouraging folks from asking.
Jul 10, 2017, 3:00 pm
#2106
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: SoCal (ONT), PVD/BOS, JAX, RSW
Programs: AA/US PlatPro & 1.05MM, DL Plat (challenge), UA dirt
Posts: 3,189
Apparently ONT-SFO has BE fares filed for it...and it is on the CR2.
Jul 10, 2017, 4:26 pm
#2107
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 14,891
Jul 10, 2017, 4:30 pm
#2108
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,470
Jul 10, 2017, 5:29 pm
#2109
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 9
BE fares booked with a Canadian billing address
Has anybody booked BE fares with a Canadian billing address; every time I try to book, I get to the purchase button it redirects me to the Canadian page, with the below message:
Jul 10, 2017, 5:40 pm
#2110
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Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
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Jul 10, 2017, 6:04 pm
#2111
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: SoCal (ONT), PVD/BOS, JAX, RSW
Programs: AA/US PlatPro & 1.05MM, DL Plat (challenge), UA dirt
Posts: 3,189
Jul 10, 2017, 6:06 pm
#2112
Moderator: Budget Travel forum & Credit Card Programs, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYJ/YVR and back on Van Isle ....... for now
Programs: UA lifetime MM / *A Gold
Posts: 14,429
He, he, CR2 should be the first hint. Pretty sure it can't fly all the way to Ontario, Canada.
Sadly, it's quite capable of flying to YYJ (Victoria, BC, Canada).
Sadly, it's quite capable of flying to YYJ (Victoria, BC, Canada).
Jul 10, 2017, 6:12 pm
#2113
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: SoCal (ONT), PVD/BOS, JAX, RSW
Programs: AA/US PlatPro & 1.05MM, DL Plat (challenge), UA dirt
Posts: 3,189
Jul 10, 2017, 6:24 pm
#2114
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Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: RNO
Programs: AA/DL/UA
Posts: 10,776
That would be odd to have a flight to "Ontario, Canada". Do they land at some random airport in that province? 
Jul 10, 2017, 6:39 pm
#2115
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
Code:
AND - TICKETS MAY BE ISSUED BY PTA. PTA CONSTITUTES
TICKETING.
TICKETS MAY ONLY BE SOLD IN UNITED STATES.
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