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}
May 12, 2018, 7:45 am
#3196
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 1,604
MileagePlus
Why didn't I get a boarding pass?
Travelers who purchase Basic Economy and have indicated that they're not bringing a checked bag need to see a United representative to complete their check-in. Once you arrive at the airport, visit an airport kiosk or check-in counter to verify your onboard bag allowance and receive a boarding pass. You may complete check-in online if you indicate that you'll have a checked bag.
AAAAARRRRRRGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
You are not checked in yet
Why didn't I get a boarding pass?
Travelers who purchase Basic Economy and have indicated that they're not bringing a checked bag need to see a United representative to complete their check-in. Once you arrive at the airport, visit an airport kiosk or check-in counter to verify your onboard bag allowance and receive a boarding pass. You may complete check-in online if you indicate that you'll have a checked bag.
AAAAARRRRRRGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
May 12, 2018, 5:58 pm
#3197
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Japan
Posts: 5,577
MileagePlus
Why didn't I get a boarding pass?
Travelers who purchase Basic Economy and have indicated that they're not bringing a checked bag need to see a United representative to complete their check-in. Once you arrive at the airport, visit an airport kiosk or check-in counter to verify your onboard bag allowance and receive a boarding pass. You may complete check-in online if you indicate that you'll have a checked bag.
AAAAARRRRRRGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
You are not checked in yet
Why didn't I get a boarding pass?
Travelers who purchase Basic Economy and have indicated that they're not bringing a checked bag need to see a United representative to complete their check-in. Once you arrive at the airport, visit an airport kiosk or check-in counter to verify your onboard bag allowance and receive a boarding pass. You may complete check-in online if you indicate that you'll have a checked bag.
AAAAARRRRRRGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
May 12, 2018, 9:49 pm
#3198
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 14,891
of course, even for non elites it’s not really a problem - just show up at the counter, yes, perhaps a few minutes earlier then you might otherwise, take the minute or so to deal with the agent, and go on your way. If this is the worst treatment you get from buying a BE fare, I’d say you’re doing good. Of course, if this check didn’t take place, the posts would be about UA charging an extra $25 to check a rollerboard at the gate for a BE pax.
May 13, 2018, 3:00 pm
#3199
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 19
Has anyone else seen a $500 difference between the BE price and the regular economy price? Is this likely a glitch that will get corrected eventually? Frontier's price is a few dollars above the basic economy price.
This flight is on 6/2.
This flight is on 6/2.
May 13, 2018, 3:02 pm
#3200
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
It's not an error though. It's (IMO) a flawed business strategy, but it's what UA intended.
May 13, 2018, 4:19 pm
#3201
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,029
The one-way fare is $66 vs $575. Sample round-trip using same departure and a return 1 week later is $131 vs $308. I guess UA expects only a few (or no) one-way types that are dumb enough to pay $575.
May 13, 2018, 5:34 pm
#3202
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 2,531
What's weird to my eye is that all the fare classes are wide open. Does UA really not have any one-way (non-BE) IAH-PHL fares with > 14 days advanced purchase filed that book into anything below the M bucket?
AA is offering $253 connecting for $575 nonstop.
Frontier's $70 option lands at 4:00am which is a bit rough.
AA is offering $253 connecting for $575 nonstop.
Frontier's $70 option lands at 4:00am which is a bit rough.
May 13, 2018, 6:28 pm
#3203
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Japan
Posts: 5,577
not a problem if your elite. If you have to pay for a checked bag, and don’t have one, I’d think selecting that you are checking a bag, then paying for it is actually more of a problem.
of course, even for non elites it’s not really a problem - just show up at the counter, yes, perhaps a few minutes earlier then you might otherwise, take the minute or so to deal with the agent, and go on your way. If this is the worst treatment you get from buying a BE fare, I’d say you’re doing good. Of course, if this check didn’t take place, the posts would be about UA charging an extra $25 to check a rollerboard at the gate for a BE pax.
May 13, 2018, 7:05 pm
#3204
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 19
What's weird to my eye is that all the fare classes are wide open. Does UA really not have any one-way (non-BE) IAH-PHL fares with > 14 days advanced purchase filed that book into anything below the M bucket?
AA is offering $253 connecting for $575 nonstop.
Frontier's $70 option lands at 4:00am which is a bit rough.
AA is offering $253 connecting for $575 nonstop.
Frontier's $70 option lands at 4:00am which is a bit rough.
May 13, 2018, 7:59 pm
#3205
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,029
May 13, 2018, 8:14 pm
#3206
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
This is rather less normal than at first glance... ignoring BE for the moment, for some odd reason most of the OW fares and some of the RT fares have routing rule:
I would almost feel like it's a mistake but AA matches identically. For whatever reason, they seem to want a massive nonstop premium for one-ways and even a small one for round-trips (the round-trips which allow the nonstop have Saturday night stay requirements). I would hazard a guess that it's the standard market segmentation to hit business travelers, with the added knowledge that the one-stop routes get skipped by LCLF and so does BE.
Honestly it's hard for me to call it bad business. Someone carefully sat down, determined exactly what rules large companies play by, and exploited that to get over $1,000 for IAH/PHL round-trips.
Code:
V FARE BASIS BK FARE TRAVEL-TICKET AP MINMAX RTG 1 WAA4AFEN W X 231.00 R06AU 14/1 -/ - 414 PASSENGER TYPE-ADT AUTO PRICE-YES FROM-HOU TO-PHL CXR-UA TVL-02JUN18 RULE-ECF2 DFR/11 FARE BASIS-WAA4AFEN SPECIAL FARE DIS-N VENDOR-ATP FARE TYPE-SIP OW-INSTANT PURCHASE USD 214.88 0414 E30APR18 D06AUG18 FC-WAA4AFEN FN-8R SYSTEM DATES - CREATED 30APR18/1211 EXPIRES INFINITY PUBLISHED RTG HOU-PHL/UA414 /TAR-DRG1 EF-30APR18 DIS-INDEF TRAVEL MUST NOT BE NONSTOP MAP CONSTRUCTED LEFT TO RIGHT AND RIGHT TO LEFT 1. HOU-CHI/DEN/EWR/LAX/WAS-PHL .
Honestly it's hard for me to call it bad business. Someone carefully sat down, determined exactly what rules large companies play by, and exploited that to get over $1,000 for IAH/PHL round-trips.
May 13, 2018, 8:27 pm
#3207
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
May 13, 2018, 8:55 pm
#3208
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Floating around
Programs: UA 1K (1MM), DL Gold (1MM), Marriott LTT
Posts: 10,346
-RM
May 14, 2018, 3:22 am
#3209
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Houston
Programs: UA Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 12,694
Funny, IAH-PHL used to be a reasonable way to circumvent the punitive IAH-WAS fares.
May 26, 2018, 3:51 pm
#3210
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: YVR/YUL/LHR/HKG
Programs: TK Gold
Posts: 577
Greetings all, I am based in the ar East and the UK. I have never tied UA BE before. I'll have two companions and I am a * Gold. It says on UA website that the BE's restrictions on carry-on are waived. Does that mean 2 o my companions would get a carry-on and one personal item?