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 20, 2016, 11:56 am
#586
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Jersey Shore/YYZ
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 12,521
I just volunteered to be denied boarding and was offered a flight which, when I looked at the protection record on my segment, was booked into "N". The relevant flight has inventory F0 Y1 B1 M1 E0 … N1 so I think the agent rebooked me from my booked class (W) into the lowest available class the system could sell (N).
Seems kind of wonky / insidious to be offered a dramatically lower fare class during an oversale, especially if it starts carrying special meaning!
Seems kind of wonky / insidious to be offered a dramatically lower fare class during an oversale, especially if it starts carrying special meaning!
Nov 20, 2016, 3:19 pm
#587
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,416
(1) Is United going to use "N" fare class for basic economy?
(2) Is United going to rebook higher-fare-paying pax into "N" during irrops or other invol change situations?
I just volunteered to be denied boarding and was offered a flight which, when I looked at the protection record on my segment, was booked into "N". The relevant flight has inventory F0 Y1 B1 M1 E0 … N1 so I think the agent rebooked me from my booked class (W) into the lowest available class the system could sell (N).
Seems kind of wonky / insidious to be offered a dramatically lower fare class during an oversale, especially if it starts carrying special meaning!
(2) Is United going to rebook higher-fare-paying pax into "N" during irrops or other invol change situations?
I just volunteered to be denied boarding and was offered a flight which, when I looked at the protection record on my segment, was booked into "N". The relevant flight has inventory F0 Y1 B1 M1 E0 … N1 so I think the agent rebooked me from my booked class (W) into the lowest available class the system could sell (N).
Seems kind of wonky / insidious to be offered a dramatically lower fare class during an oversale, especially if it starts carrying special meaning!
That's the big question. For a while N was floating ~= W, and then it started tracked Y (with the occasional, rather remarkable F1 A0 Y1 B1 M0 N2).
Nov 20, 2016, 3:30 pm
#588
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Texas
Programs: UA 1K, AA Platinum, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 327
I think they will just make those fares BE
Nov 20, 2016, 4:45 pm
#589
Join Date: May 2016
Location: LAX
Programs: UAL 1K MM, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 438
Nov 20, 2016, 5:11 pm
#590
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: San Francisco
Programs: UA Mileage Plus Premier Gold 1MM, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,467
Is there any chart for what fare buckets these will book into so that those of us who have a choice can avoid it ?
Nov 20, 2016, 5:23 pm
#591
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,416
Nov 20, 2016, 6:01 pm
#592
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Houston
Programs: UA Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 12,693
I guess the question is, are they simply introducing a brand new fare class at the bottom rung - and not changing anything else - or are they going to slowly 're-classify' the majority of non-refundable economy fares as 'basic' and basically force loyal flyers off their product since they don't offer miles for them anymore
So here's my version of the most-unfortunate scenario. Suppose you have a trip coming up, TCON maybe, 4 months out. UA displays some really favorable BE fares, maybe less than half anything else. So you bite and buy the BE fare. Later, fares come way down for regular buckets... and you have no way of buying your way out of h***. That would suck.
Without it's difficult to compete with the ULCCs.
2) Likely not systemically.
Nov 20, 2016, 7:10 pm
#593
Join Date: May 2004
Location: US
Programs: UA Lifetime Gold, IHG Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 973
United BE is far worse than DL BE. Look for AA BE to be similar to DL BE. DL BE allows MQMs, life time miles and no restriction on carry on bags - restrictions are no advance seat assignments and no upgrades or standby.
United is getting more bad publicity than DL. Why cant they simply copy DL, like they do every time, instead of making it worse.
United is getting more bad publicity than DL. Why cant they simply copy DL, like they do every time, instead of making it worse.
Nov 20, 2016, 7:38 pm
#594
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K, AA Plat Pro, VS Gold, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 838
I don't like Basic Economy but think it makes good business sense. I think United should offer lifetime miles on these fares, but that's my only qualm with the offering.
Nov 20, 2016, 8:46 pm
#595
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Redwood City, CA USA (SFO/SJC)
Programs: 1K 2010, 1P in 2011, Plat for 2012,13,14,15 & 2016. Gold in 17 & 18, Plat since
Posts: 8,826
If I were United, sure, I'd be trying to figure out a way to match those fares without giving away the farm. Basically try to match service for service, and stripping away elite benefits is part of that.
Nov 20, 2016, 9:04 pm
#596
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,023
I don't think you'll have to go by fare class - most travelers are oblivious to what the letters mean. When you do a fare search, say for a domestic flight, my guess is you'll get 4 fares displaying instead of the three current ones: Economy (Basic), Economy, Economy (Flexible), First.
Nov 20, 2016, 9:14 pm
#597
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: BOS
Programs: UA 1K (2MM); AA LT Gold (1.9 MM); SQ; WN; DL; "Bonvoy Ambassador""
Posts: 398
Yes--and without the FA's as middlemen trying to broker deals it will be curious to see if civility breaks down...or if E+ or E pax end up with a now detached and unsupervised/scared 3-year old sitting next to them.
Nov 20, 2016, 9:29 pm
#598
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 14,889
Do airlines really, really need this basic economy?
Why is it, it seems to me, american airliners keep coming out with products that actually anger/enrage passengers than they do excite passengers?
You don't see this happen with other airlines around the world unless it's easy jet.
Why is it, it seems to me, american airliners keep coming out with products that actually anger/enrage passengers than they do excite passengers?
You don't see this happen with other airlines around the world unless it's easy jet.
Ever flown within Europe? For the most part, even on legacies like BA and LH, no seat assignments in advance - even if you want to pay for them on intra-EU. I flew on IB proabably 3 years ago on LHR-MAD, and remember when US was highly critisized (and rightly so, IME), for charging for all beverages, even water? IB was doing that (and they didn't turn on the AVOD on the return flight on a 340.
Shall I continue? On LH long-haul, you have to pay for advance seat assignments in any economy class less then V (and yes, I just did this for both my wife and I, booked in W -
Ouch). Some lower fares, including TAtL ex-EU don't allow any changes at all, not even for a fee. Then there's the LH lite fares that don't allow baggage.
Looking for an example closer to home? AC debuted their Tango fares in the late 90s - maybe '97 or '98. The parameters have changed a bit, but at the time, these fares included no seat assignment (still the case today), and only earned 25% RDM/PQM.
Back in other places, lots don't allow mileage accrual unless you have a fairly high fare class.
Yes, US carriers can infuriate passengers, but make no mistake, lots of other carriers do this as well. That's not just a US thing.
Nov 20, 2016, 10:22 pm
#599
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 102
Bingo - I've switched most of my travel to WN. I'm old enough to remember when WN offered the "grin and bear it" experience, and United was a valued brand. Now the roles have reversed, and this BE move is only going to accelerate that trend.
Nov 20, 2016, 10:33 pm
#600
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: SEA/ORD/ADB
Programs: TK ELPL (*G), AS 100K (OWE), BA Gold (OWE), Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plat, IHG Plat
Posts: 7,763
United BE is far worse than DL BE. Look for AA BE to be similar to DL BE. DL BE allows MQMs, life time miles and no restriction on carry on bags - restrictions are no advance seat assignments and no upgrades or standby.
United is getting more bad publicity than DL. Why cant they simply copy DL, like they do every time, instead of making it worse.
United is getting more bad publicity than DL. Why cant they simply copy DL, like they do every time, instead of making it worse.