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 22, 2017, 11:31 am
#2551
formerly fkhatibloo
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: SFO/OAK
Programs: United 1K & 1MM, Marriott Gold, Starwood Gold, Omni Select
Posts: 182
Basic Economy costs *more* than regular Economy??
What fresh h-e-double-hockey-sticks is this?
Aug 22, 2017, 11:38 am
#2552
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,419
UA has proven itself incapable of setting up its fares properly. There is likely a combinability difference between the lowest regular economy fare and its corresponding BE fare, such that the BE fare becomes ineligible for purchase but regular economy does not.
It should never happen, but I've stopped being surprised.
It should never happen, but I've stopped being surprised.
Aug 22, 2017, 11:47 am
#2553
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: WAS/ BOM
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold
Posts: 1,567
Aug 22, 2017, 11:50 am
#2554
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: DTW and ORD
Posts: 667
OP, what date is that for?
Aug 22, 2017, 12:36 pm
#2555
formerly fkhatibloo
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: SFO/OAK
Programs: United 1K & 1MM, Marriott Gold, Starwood Gold, Omni Select
Posts: 182
Aug 22, 2017, 12:48 pm
#2556
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,419
Was this the return flight on your search? I don't see this when I just one-way, or when I search for a round-trip with SFO-DCA as the outbound. (sample return dates -- I tried 9/19, 9/13, and 9/14). I do see it on some connecting itineraries, though.
At the end of the day, it's going to come down to combinability restrictions; they're messing up the combinability section on the cheaper BE fares that they're trying to offer there.
At the end of the day, it's going to come down to combinability restrictions; they're messing up the combinability section on the cheaper BE fares that they're trying to offer there.
Aug 22, 2017, 12:49 pm
#2557
Join Date: Sep 2008
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold, Starwood Gold
Posts: 951
Is it possible to block basic economy fares from Google flights? If so, how?
Aug 22, 2017, 12:51 pm
#2558
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: AS 75K, DL Silver, UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Platinum + LT Gold
Posts: 10,517
Looks like it's been corrected. It's showing $209 now for B/E fare.
That said, there are still connecting flights to DCA with higher B/E fares.
That said, there are still connecting flights to DCA with higher B/E fares.
Aug 22, 2017, 12:57 pm
#2559
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,424
UA has proven itself incapable of setting up its fares properly. There is likely a combinability difference between the lowest regular economy fare and its corresponding BE fare, such that the BE fare becomes ineligible for purchase but regular economy does not.
It should never happen, but I've stopped being surprised.
It should never happen, but I've stopped being surprised.
But is indeed as simple as somehow they just... forgot to publish a BE fare for the 'Q' special series here.
Code:
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Cxr Basis BC Cbn Price Tp AP Min Max Days Rf ---------------------------------------------------------------------- UA TAK4DQBS N Y $194.00 OW 14 TW S N UA TAA4DQBS N Y $204.00 OW 14 N UA SAK2DQES S Y $234.00 OW 21 TW S N UA SAA2DQES S Y $244.00 OW 21 N UA SAA2DFEN S Y $257.00 OW 21 N UA SRA2DFBR N Y $257.00 RT 21 N
Aug 22, 2017, 1:02 pm
#2560
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,480
Where they're available, the UA BE fares basically invalidate the search results if you're looking for cheapest normal economy fare.
Aug 22, 2017, 1:41 pm
#2561
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Denver, Colorado, USA
Programs: AS MVP 100K, UA PremEx-MM
Posts: 3,335
Has the cost of BE gone up? I just looked at DEN-SFO for next July and a one-way flight is $108 in BE or $149 in regular economy, or $41 extra. A 38% surcharge if my math is correct.
Aug 22, 2017, 1:42 pm
#2562
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Silicon wasteland
Programs: UA 1KMM
Posts: 1,381
/f bc~N (I think)
Unfortunately, this only works for UA only searches, you'll have to have something similar for DL (E fares) and AA (?? fares). If you don't mind missing E fares on UA, it should work.
Aug 22, 2017, 3:09 pm
#2563
Join Date: Sep 2008
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold, Starwood Gold
Posts: 951
I don't believe you can use ITA to do flight tracking / price alerts automatically.
Aug 22, 2017, 3:25 pm
#2564
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, AA EXP, HH Diamond, MR Gold, Avis PC, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,252
With the caveat that I'm not an IT expert, it seems like it should be fairly easy for Google to implement. They already display the "no baggage" etc. warning once you select the United flights, so they are picking up the basic economy information, they just need to implement a way to filter those out.
Aug 22, 2017, 5:02 pm
#2565
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Denver, Colorado
Programs: IHG Spire, Hilton Honors Gold, Marriott Titanium, Mileage Plus Gold
Posts: 1,736
Well it looks like American will be expanding their BE fares to the Caribbean. Not much longer before everyone else follows. Just imagine BE to Singapore or NRT in the future. No thank you.