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}
Jan 1, 2017, 12:21 pm
#961
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
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This will be proven again and again by the rant threads initiated by pax complaining about various aspects of the BE tickets they voluntarily purchased.
Jan 1, 2017, 12:26 pm
#962
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: BOS
Programs: Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott/SPG/Hilton Gold, PreCheck + Clear
Posts: 2,306
Jan 1, 2017, 1:58 pm
#963
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 573
how does one know if they have purchased a BE fare?
I just bought a G EWR-DEN-LAS and was allowed to select a PE seat and apply a RPU. When I got the email confirm it says I will be getting RDM and PQM and PQD
Thx
I just bought a G EWR-DEN-LAS and was allowed to select a PE seat and apply a RPU. When I got the email confirm it says I will be getting RDM and PQM and PQD
Thx
Jan 1, 2017, 2:04 pm
#964
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Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
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Posts: 56,480
Jan 1, 2017, 3:07 pm
#966
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
Jan 1, 2017, 4:00 pm
#967
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
The baggage issue is a red herring. BG 5's are already forced to gate check and manage to do it now. If there is no space, there is no space. This is easily dealt with at the gate and people relent pretty quickly when the GA says something like, "Sir, this flight is closing in 3 minutes with or without you onboard, what is your decision?"
The DOT family seating issue is not even close to a problem yet. The statute directs DOT to study and issue a rule "if practicable" and the statute already makes clear that nobody need be bumped from a class of service or paid "better" seat, e.g. E+. Additionally, this is not about seating families together, it is about seating one passenger age 14+ "adjacent" to one passenger age 13-. That could be two middle seats one behind the other.
As to whether it's a good deal, that is a consumer-driven decision. DL has been selling these fares for several years and there is a market for them. AA has followed and now UA. For all the whining here, so long as the disclosures are clear and, at least on DL they could not be more explicit, people who want to save a few bucks ought to be able to even if it isn't much and even if the fares are what used to be the el cheapos for standard Y.
UA has also taken care of its elites, sort of. Elites will still board early and won't have the OH issues. Thus, the only true BE customer is one who both purchases a BE ticket and has no status.
The DOT family seating issue is not even close to a problem yet. The statute directs DOT to study and issue a rule "if practicable" and the statute already makes clear that nobody need be bumped from a class of service or paid "better" seat, e.g. E+. Additionally, this is not about seating families together, it is about seating one passenger age 14+ "adjacent" to one passenger age 13-. That could be two middle seats one behind the other.
As to whether it's a good deal, that is a consumer-driven decision. DL has been selling these fares for several years and there is a market for them. AA has followed and now UA. For all the whining here, so long as the disclosures are clear and, at least on DL they could not be more explicit, people who want to save a few bucks ought to be able to even if it isn't much and even if the fares are what used to be the el cheapos for standard Y.
UA has also taken care of its elites, sort of. Elites will still board early and won't have the OH issues. Thus, the only true BE customer is one who both purchases a BE ticket and has no status.
Jan 1, 2017, 4:04 pm
#968
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: ORD
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Platinum/LT Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 5,594
Logically it would seem, unless they add significant capacity, they won't lower fares, or in some cases may lower them slightly but basically require ancillary revenue. We'll never know because the way fares are set isn't transparent to customers, which is perfectly fine.
By the way, your primary theory that lowering ticket prices leads to more profits is only true in a very specific market where supply is significantly higher than demand. If supply is limited, lowering prices may lower profits.
Jan 1, 2017, 4:47 pm
#969
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: IAH
Programs: Marriott Plat, Hyatt Globalist, DL Plat, UA Silver
Posts: 4,043
United should make basic J rather than selling upgrades for TOD. Would it work?
Jan 3, 2017, 4:24 am
#970
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: U.K.
Programs: QR P; HH D; IHG SpAmb
Posts: 775
Sorry, if this has been asked before: if buying tickets on non-UA stock but with UA segments, how would i know if it were in basic economy or not, or are basic economy tickets only being sold on 016 stock?
Jan 3, 2017, 8:26 am
#971
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Tx
Programs: AA, UA, WN
Posts: 812
Will saver economy tickets be considered BE?
Jan 3, 2017, 8:33 am
#972
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: gggrrrovvveee (ORD)
Programs: UA Pt, Marriott Ti, Hertz PC
Posts: 6,091
There has been no news to that effect that I have seen. My assumption would be no. However, I also wouldn't be surprised to see them introduce a "basic award" tier which might be 5k-10k miles cheaper, depending on destination, than saver awards.
Jan 3, 2017, 12:29 pm
#973
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
It's not known until tickets go on sale, but using DL/ST as a model, N fares will only be allowed plated on 016 stock.
Jan 4, 2017, 6:18 am
#974
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Houston
Programs: UA - 1K, Marriott - Gold, Hilton - Gold, Global Entry,
Posts: 633
I probably wouldn't be buying BE fares but if i bought tickets for my family with 3 children ages 7 and under, would they put us in seats together?
From wiki: No guarantee of adjacent seats with companions
and this is brutal: Tickets will earn RDMs but no PQMs, PQSs, PQDs, does not count for minimum 4 segment , no lifetime miles
I'm buying the ticket from UA...it's not like i'm buying a bulk or opaque fare
From wiki: No guarantee of adjacent seats with companions
and this is brutal: Tickets will earn RDMs but no PQMs, PQSs, PQDs, does not count for minimum 4 segment , no lifetime miles
I'm buying the ticket from UA...it's not like i'm buying a bulk or opaque fare
Jan 4, 2017, 6:40 am
#975
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Join Date: Jul 1999
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Posts: 19,719
You can argue that all those complainers didn't read the fine print, but that's not the point. A bad rep is a bad rep.