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}
Nov 6, 2020, 12:04 pm
#3991
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: 66,859
Generic BE message, at checkin your credit card bag benefit and BG2 will recognized
Dec 8, 2020, 11:48 am
#3992
Join Date: Nov 2020
Posts: 11
Carry-on with Basic Economy with United Explorer Card and COVID era boarding process
Hi,
Obviously with basic economy you are not allowed a carry-on, but I had read that if you have the Untied Explorer card (or other card that gives you priority boarding), that you can usually get on the plane with a carry-on even on Basic Economy, since you are no longer demoted to the last boarding group. Are there any data points on whether this still works?
Thanks!
Obviously with basic economy you are not allowed a carry-on, but I had read that if you have the Untied Explorer card (or other card that gives you priority boarding), that you can usually get on the plane with a carry-on even on Basic Economy, since you are no longer demoted to the last boarding group. Are there any data points on whether this still works?
Thanks!
Dec 8, 2020, 11:56 am
#3993
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: 66,859
... Obviously with basic economy you are not allowed a carry-on, but I had read that if you have the Untied Explorer card (or other card that gives you priority boarding), that you can usually get on the plane with a carry-on even on Basic Economy, since you are no longer demoted to the last boarding group. Are there any data points on whether this still works?
Dec 8, 2020, 12:05 pm
#3994
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: AS 75K, DL Silver, UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Platinum + LT Gold
Posts: 10,515
Boarding groups are largely irrelevant these days, as main cabin boards from rear to front.
Dec 9, 2020, 11:24 am
#3996
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: UA, AS
Posts: 2,393
From United (bolding mine):
For trans-Atlantic flights, all travelers with a Basic Economy ticket — even those without a MileagePlus credit card — can bring a full-sized carry-on bag on board.
For all other flights, if you are a primary cardmember of a qualifying MileagePlus credit card at the time of check-in and you provided your MileagePlus number when purchasing a Basic Economy ticket, you and travel companions on the same reservation will maintain your boarding priority and be allowed to bring a full-sized carry-on bag on board if space permits. The qualifying MileagePlus credit card must be used to purchase the ticket. Qualifying cards are: MileagePlus Explorer Card, MileagePlus Explorer Business Card, MileagePlus Club Card, MileagePlus Club Business Card, Presidential PlusSM Card, Presidential Plus Business Card, MileagePlus Awards Card, Ixe United Universe Card, and Ixe United Card.
For all other flights, if you are a primary cardmember of a qualifying MileagePlus credit card at the time of check-in and you provided your MileagePlus number when purchasing a Basic Economy ticket, you and travel companions on the same reservation will maintain your boarding priority and be allowed to bring a full-sized carry-on bag on board if space permits. The qualifying MileagePlus credit card must be used to purchase the ticket. Qualifying cards are: MileagePlus Explorer Card, MileagePlus Explorer Business Card, MileagePlus Club Card, MileagePlus Club Business Card, Presidential PlusSM Card, Presidential Plus Business Card, MileagePlus Awards Card, Ixe United Universe Card, and Ixe United Card.
Dec 9, 2020, 12:17 pm
#3997
Join Date: Nov 2020
Posts: 11
Thanks, good to know the official language. I wouldn't use my United card to buy the ticket (i would use Chase Sapphire Reserve for better rewards and travel protections). I wonder anecdotally if they actually check at the gate which card you used to buy the ticket? I am hoping I can sneak om with carry on in basic economy even if I didn't use MP card to buy ticket.
Thanks, when you say boarding groups are largely irrelevant now, is that due to COVID? Are you suggesting it would then be harder to get on board with a carry on with basic economy, even if your MP credit card supposedly gives you priority boarding?
Thanks, when you say boarding groups are largely irrelevant now, is that due to COVID? Are you suggesting it would then be harder to get on board with a carry on with basic economy, even if your MP credit card supposedly gives you priority boarding?
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Dec 9, 2020 at 1:31 pm Reason: merging consecutive posts by the same member
Dec 9, 2020, 12:21 pm
#3998
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: AS 75K, DL Silver, UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Platinum + LT Gold
Posts: 10,515
Basic economy tickets are no different from regular economy tickets from a boarding process standpoint (for now), so carryons, good!
Dec 9, 2020, 3:48 pm
#3999
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,417
Dec 10, 2020, 3:43 pm
#4000
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: AS 75K, DL Silver, UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Platinum + LT Gold
Posts: 10,515
We've made some temporary changes to our boarding process to promote social distancing. Following pre-boarding, we will board back to front by rows instead of by groups, so please listen for your row to be called before lining up at the gate instead of using the group number on your boarding pass.
Boarding process (united.com)
Kiosk? I don't know how that relates to boarding and bringing items onboard.
Dec 10, 2020, 4:41 pm
#4001
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,417
So, if they're still doing things the same way, that's the point at which you can expect them to enforce it. (They could also enforce it during boarding, because the computer will register the boarding group even if they're not using it to control what order you're getting on the plane, but I don't know that I've ever seen them do that).
Dec 10, 2020, 10:11 pm
#4002
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: What I write is my opinion alone..don't read into it anything not written.
Posts: 9,686
Agents that ignore that beep are in for a world of trouble very quickly when people board and that beep is signaling one of the many other error situations, so it's definitely monitored
Dec 12, 2020, 3:58 pm
#4003
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Join Date: Aug 2017
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We do. every single domestic BE ticket beeps the same beep as an error, signifying that the customer is BE and limited to a personal item. Youve got 2 beeps from the machine "standard ticket, all is good," (beep) or "something is wrong OR the person has a domestic BE ticket and can only have a personal item" Pretty ez in a binary system. And thats if the CSR is blind and is only relying on obvious auditory cues. The screen shows it as well.
Agents that ignore that beep are in for a world of trouble very quickly when people board and that beep is signaling one of the many other error situations, so it's definitely monitored
Agents that ignore that beep are in for a world of trouble very quickly when people board and that beep is signaling one of the many other error situations, so it's definitely monitored
I always board last, even prior to COVID-19.
Dec 23, 2020, 9:07 am
#4004
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: MSE
Programs: BA Silver, TK Elite, Marriott Lifetime Platinum, NEXUS/GE
Posts: 466
I'm looking at buying a BE ticket for next month to fly from LHR-ORD. A couple of questions that I can't seem to sort out, would be grateful if anyone has any advice:
1. As a *G elite who *isn't* planning on checking a bag, would I be able to do online check-in? I can't quite work it out. Would really prefer to skip the queues at the airport if possible and head straight for security.
2. I may decide to pay up to sit in Economy Plus on either leg if the flight is looking full. Is this still an option in BE, and if so, is that option only available at checkin?
1. As a *G elite who *isn't* planning on checking a bag, would I be able to do online check-in? I can't quite work it out. Would really prefer to skip the queues at the airport if possible and head straight for security.
2. I may decide to pay up to sit in Economy Plus on either leg if the flight is looking full. Is this still an option in BE, and if so, is that option only available at checkin?
Dec 23, 2020, 11:52 am
#4005
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: LAX
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Posts: 6,852
No problem in checking in online, and I think you’ll have a pretty good chance of getting E+ without payment