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}
#2341
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: DFW from PDX - UA 1K 2MM,Lifetime HHonnors Diamond, Bonvoy AMB/LT Tit, National Exec Elite, Hertz PC
Posts: 554
Yikes...
Just saw 5 Be passengers bumped to F this morning. Crazy!
#2342
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Denver, CO
Programs: UA 1K 25 years/2MM, Honors LT Diamond, AVIS & Hertz Prez Club
Posts: 4,753
#2343
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: DFW from PDX - UA 1K 2MM,Lifetime HHonnors Diamond, Bonvoy AMB/LT Tit, National Exec Elite, Hertz PC
Posts: 554
DFW/LAX 5:50am departure. Oversold.
#2344
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: ORD
Programs: United Plat 2MM, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,727
But the seat map shows two empty seats in coach.
#2346
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Denver, CO
Programs: UA 1K 25 years/2MM, Honors LT Diamond, AVIS & Hertz Prez Club
Posts: 4,753
You can view the seat map on a flight after departure via the app, on the day of travel. The maps tend to disappear the following day.
#2347
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,425
#2348
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 14,891
and whether there was anyone on the upgrade standby list - I sincerely hope not.
As I've stated upthread, quite disappointed that UA seems to 'reward' BE with better seats, be it E+ or especially F, when they specifically talk about it's a fare where you don't get many things, including the ability to buy into a seat assignment at all, much less, a better one. If UA is going to market these as no-frills fares, and they do, then they really need to stop doing what's easiest/fastest, and have a proper procedure to offer the better seats to the higher fares or those with higher * status on regular fares and then fill those seats in the back with BE fares. Otherwise, people, understandably, won't understand the benefit of paying the regular fare, and will only enrage pax who did pay the regular fare as they watch he BE folks get premium seats. Because if those pax continue to fly UA, they are going to seriously wonder about he benefits of a higher fare and just book BE the next time.
As I've stated upthread, quite disappointed that UA seems to 'reward' BE with better seats, be it E+ or especially F, when they specifically talk about it's a fare where you don't get many things, including the ability to buy into a seat assignment at all, much less, a better one. If UA is going to market these as no-frills fares, and they do, then they really need to stop doing what's easiest/fastest, and have a proper procedure to offer the better seats to the higher fares or those with higher * status on regular fares and then fill those seats in the back with BE fares. Otherwise, people, understandably, won't understand the benefit of paying the regular fare, and will only enrage pax who did pay the regular fare as they watch he BE folks get premium seats. Because if those pax continue to fly UA, they are going to seriously wonder about he benefits of a higher fare and just book BE the next time.
#2349
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: RNO
Programs: AA/DL/UA
Posts: 10,780
Maybe the entire plane bought a BE ticket.
LOL, I doubt that. Departing two minutes earlier is more important than giving upgrades to people who deserve it.
LOL, I doubt that. Departing two minutes earlier is more important than giving upgrades to people who deserve it.
#2350
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,425
#2351
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Danville, CA, USA;
Programs: UA 1MM, WN CP, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Gold, IC Plat
Posts: 15,722
Lots of us deserve op-ups. Like my last flight after spending hours during a flight delay. Or after being wedged into an E- middle on the prior flight because your original flight was cancelled (happened when I was 1k). Or maybe a guy who flies 100k a year all paid economy between hubs because his company doesn't allow F. All of these people deserve an op-up more than BE. In fact I would go so far as to say that everyone on the plane who paid a higher fare deserves an op-up before a BE customer. If UA is going to op-up BE then I might as well just buy the lowest fare and toss my elite status into the trash. Or better yet fly an airline that shows a little more respect for elites. (rant finished)
#2352
Join Date: Apr 2014
Programs: DL Gold, UA nothing (ex-GS), Marriott lifetime Plat, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 920
Interesting BE pricing on Sep. 14, PDX-SFO. Most of the BE options are only $20 cheaper but a few options are $102 cheaper:
#2353
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: 6 year GS, now 2MM Jeff-ugee, *wood LTPlt, SkyPeso PLT
Posts: 6,526
As an e.g. if one looks two weeks out SEA-SFO, UA wants another $20 to avoid BE (BE fares of $123 or $133) while Delta will just sell you a regular Y at $105 or $145, and VX/AS will sell you seats at $106 or $123.
So United's BE is not cheaper, and it gives you less, unless you pay a loyalty tax to use your "elite status"
#2354
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,422
It really blows my mind how frequently UA has continued to do this, given that the BE fares are created automatically from rules on the regular economy fares.
#2355
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: EWR
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Gold (Current Platinum), United Mileage Plus, Avis Preferred
Posts: 850
Lots of us deserve op-ups. Like my last flight after spending hours during a flight delay. Or after being wedged into an E- middle on the prior flight because your original flight was cancelled (happened when I was 1k). Or maybe a guy who flies 100k a year all paid economy between hubs because his company doesn't allow F. All of these people deserve an op-up more than BE. In fact I would go so far as to say that everyone on the plane who paid a higher fare deserves an op-up before a BE customer. If UA is going to op-up BE then I might as well just buy the lowest fare and toss my elite status into the trash. Or better yet fly an airline that shows a little more respect for elites. (rant finished)
As an example, UA1816 on 8/21/2017 had Non-BE fares available for $129 on 6/16/2017 & 6/26/2017. On the same flight, BE fares of $137, $172, $140, $147, and $137 again were available on 5/24/2017, 5/25/2017, 5/30/2017, 6/14/2017, and 6/29/2017, respectively. (Current pricing is $114-$134.)
So it is quite likely that across its system UA will have flights with BE passengers who paid more than non-BE passengers.