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}
Aug 13, 2017, 3:47 pm
#2416
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: UA1K
Posts: 4,044
i did a quick search and could not find anything...with BE and you're plat on UA...do you still need to pay to check a bag?
Aug 13, 2017, 3:59 pm
#2417
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,421
No. BE has no effect on checked bag waivers. In fact, as a Plat, you can still board in group 1 and bring a carry-on. However, you won't be able to select seats and aren't eligible for an upgrade.
Aug 13, 2017, 4:04 pm
#2418
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Houston
Programs: UA Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 12,694
Aug 13, 2017, 4:17 pm
#2419
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: UA1K
Posts: 4,044
that is great to know...not too worried about seat selection. only going to use BE on short flights.
Aug 13, 2017, 10:03 pm
#2420
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: TOA
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott LTPP/Platinum Premier, Hyatt Lame-ist, UA !K
Posts: 20,061
Presumably United Continental Holdings Inc. which operates multiple businesses including some doing business as "United Airlines".
David
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Aug 15, 2017 at 1:37 pm Reason: Using symbols, spaces or other methods to mask vulgarities is not allowed.
Aug 14, 2017, 1:13 am
#2421
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: SFO/SJC/OAK
Programs: OZ Diamond (*G), KQ Asante Gold (ST+), Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,511
I never insinuated this was a required benefit for *G. But I think we can both agree *G deserve E+ at check-in over non status BE customers.
Aug 14, 2017, 2:01 am
#2422
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,481
Aug 14, 2017, 11:54 am
#2423
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: YYZ, PVG
Programs: Marriott Titanium, Ex-UA-1K
Posts: 430
Based overseas but end up doing a blitz of travel, especially US domestic, from July-October every year. Until now,this BE business had simply been in the abstract for me but now that I'm in the middle of my travel season, it's increasing becoming an annoyance for me. I had only seen $20 across the board for all the routes I've been flying or plan to fly until today.....$40 for ORD-MHT on a base rate of $87.
ORD-BOS is still $20 on the same fare amount though I'm assuming this is related to the fare buckets. I will eat $20 without much of a thought. $40, though not any financial burden, annoys me enough though to book elsewhere.
Booked Jetblue at $107 from ORD-BOS. Same total amount as United with surcharge. Booked out of spite.
ORD-BOS is still $20 on the same fare amount though I'm assuming this is related to the fare buckets. I will eat $20 without much of a thought. $40, though not any financial burden, annoys me enough though to book elsewhere.
Booked Jetblue at $107 from ORD-BOS. Same total amount as United with surcharge. Booked out of spite.
Last edited by mackenzie77; Aug 14, 2017 at 12:02 pm
Aug 14, 2017, 12:35 pm
#2424
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Programs: United MileagePlus Silver, Nexus, Global Entry
Posts: 8,798
Maybe this BE fare is actually reduced, but 80% more for non-BE?!?
At first the delta was very small - Over time it grew and grew.
Today, on a YYZ-YVR return fare, the Tango difference is $300 USD ($500 USD vs $800 USD).
The same will happen here - Not overnight, but it will happen. Mark my words.
Aug 14, 2017, 7:53 pm
#2425
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: United Global Services, Amtrak Select Executive
Posts: 4,098
Exactly. What the current corporation is passing itself off as United at this time is not - the overall corporate entity is a combination that frankly has not figured out what it wants to be. It is more of a half and half - or, in the vernacular, half a**ed. Its implementation of BE is a classic example. Either sell something unique that people really want to buy or build on your strengths. BE is neither.
David
David
Aug 14, 2017, 10:51 pm
#2426
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: SIN
Programs: Turkish E+, Alitalia Freccia Alata Plus
Posts: 182
It's been absolutely surreal watching how they've described the deterioration in service over the past 5 years.
I was booking a flight from a small city in the Midwest to EWR yesterday, and was blown away at how far out of their way they went to try to get a 12-16 hour layover on the schedule at ORD.
They're so focused on creating a terrible experience, but even provide lousy options if you actually pay for first.
This airline's days are numbered.
Aug 14, 2017, 10:53 pm
#2427
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: SIN
Programs: Turkish E+, Alitalia Freccia Alata Plus
Posts: 182
The OP was extremely clear in his point: UA doesn't know if it's Spirit or Singapore, and wants to be both.
Reminding him that the company is called United Airlines is snark.
Aug 15, 2017, 12:34 am
#2428
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,481
Regardless of what you think of the airline, it's name is United Airlines. Calling it by the name of its holding company doesn't make any rational sense and will just confuse people.
Aug 15, 2017, 1:19 pm
#2429
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: TOA
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott LTPP/Platinum Premier, Hyatt Lame-ist, UA !K
Posts: 20,061
Back on topic for this thread, in doing 1-way searches for LAX-TPA for November, all results are 1- and 2-stop flights (no non-stops out of LAX). BE is usually priced $25 to $40 less than the lowest available Economy fare with some flights pricing in at the same cost where BE is the same as the regular Economy fare.
That being said, the search results also show at least 3 flights where BE is priced higher than Economy by $84.
David
Aug 15, 2017, 1:44 pm
#2430
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.997MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,861
Moderator Note
The topic of this thread is "Basic Economy", let's return that discussion.
WineCountryUA
UA coModerator
The topic of this thread is "Basic Economy", let's return that discussion.
WineCountryUA
UA coModerator