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United's Basic Economy - Discussion, Q&A, ... {Archive}

Old Feb 9, 2019, 5:12 pm
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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:
  • 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 dont 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.
In air, passengers will receive the same standard economy inflight amenities including United Economy dining options, inflight entertainment, United Wi-Fi (availability depending on the flight)

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
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United's Basic Economy - Discussion, Q&A, ... {Archive}

Old Apr 19, 2017, 5:39 pm
  #1351  
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Originally Posted by char777
At least UA and now DL's website allow you to switch from BE to true Y before booking. Until recently, DL's site didn't have an option on the summary page to upgrade to Y if you clicked through to it from Google.
Native Delta.com searches have had the capability for years. Pick a fare class higher than E from the Advanced Search page, or pick 'Main Cabin' from the same page.
3Cforme is offline  
Old Apr 19, 2017, 6:06 pm
  #1352  
 
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Originally Posted by 3Cforme
Native Delta.com searches have had the capability for years. Pick a fare class higher than E from the Advanced Search page, or pick 'Main Cabin' from the same page.
Oh yes, of course native searches do. It's just that for a while, if I built a Delta itinerary on Google Flights and chose whatever economy fare was shown, not only would I not be informed that the fare was BE until when I clicked through to delta.com, but the page it dumped me to also wouldn't allow me to upgrade to a main cabin fare. I'd have to start over and do a native search on delta.com in order to book anything other than BE, making the Google Flights search a waste of time.

Only recently did Delta add an "upgrade" button to this page.



It would be nice if they also had ability to upgrade from BE to C+ before booking without having to start over with a native search too, but at least the ability to upgrade to main cabin is there now.
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Old Apr 19, 2017, 6:28 pm
  #1353  
 
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Has Anyone Forced to Buy A BE Fare?

Has anyone been forced to buy a BE fare because of company policy?
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Old Apr 19, 2017, 6:52 pm
  #1354  
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Originally Posted by char777
I don't remember seeing this warning on Google Flights before. It shows up once you build your full itinerary and before you go to booking:
It has been there since around when UA and AA introduced their BE fares. I wish it showed before you clicked or that those fares could be excluded, but at least you get a warning at some point.
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Old Apr 20, 2017, 7:14 am
  #1355  
 
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Originally Posted by Michael D
Has anyone been forced to buy a BE fare because of company policy?
Now that I see BE fares just came online out of EWR, I tried a search in Concur for an ORD trip in June. Lowest fare I can buy in my company's instance of Concur for this trip is H/V, whereas on UA.com, after clicking that you are really really sure, you can book N/N for $30 less. Still doesn't touch the EWR-MDW fare on WN, which is $200 less.
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Old Apr 20, 2017, 8:08 am
  #1356  
 
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UA App changed, too

On United App, there is an option that allows you not to search the BE fares. So, the BE train has left the station and there will be no return.
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Old Apr 20, 2017, 3:39 pm
  #1357  
 
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ORD-LGA fares in Basic Economy N (e.g. $63.20) were the exact same price in G yesterday. Essentially, they raised all ticket prices by $15
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Old Apr 20, 2017, 3:51 pm
  #1358  
 
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On Tuesday, Economy IAH to MSY for most flights was $55 for 5/12/17 departure. The next day when I went online to book, The $55 Eco seats were still there but the BE seats were now showing at $40. So, in this case, they didn't raise Econ when they added the BE seats.
I stuck with the Eco so I could use my E+ prescription and be eligible for CPU.
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Old Apr 20, 2017, 3:52 pm
  #1359  
 
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I don't even want to read about this basic economy....because DYKWIA???????
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Old Apr 20, 2017, 4:29 pm
  #1360  
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Originally Posted by Kensterfly
On Tuesday, Economy IAH to MSY for most flights was $55 for 5/12/17 departure. The next day when I went online to book, The $55 Eco seats were still there but the BE seats were now showing at $40. So, in this case, they didn't raise Econ when they added the BE seats.
I stuck with the Eco so I could use my E+ prescription and be eligible for CPU.
It's market dependent with a bias toward the fare increase version. Interesting to see more markets with drops.
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Old Apr 20, 2017, 5:00 pm
  #1361  
 
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Came here noticing the fares changed to Basic Economy on some routes (ORD-LAX/NYC) I was watching. Hilariously the same price before it turned into Basic Economy, and as others said they basically raised Economy prices at least $15. Also still much more expensive than Spirit on the same route. So much for competing with ULCCs. Hell, for the same price, why not just fly any other carrier at the same price without BE.
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Old Apr 20, 2017, 6:51 pm
  #1362  
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Originally Posted by idiosyncrasy
.... any other carrier at the same price without BE.
That list is getting shorter every day.
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Old Apr 20, 2017, 7:40 pm
  #1363  
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I'm sort of amazed at all the claims that fares previously were the same price all the time for every flight all day, and now those are the BE fares. I've never seen such fare consistency flight to flight or day to day as people are claiming existed.
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Old Apr 20, 2017, 8:38 pm
  #1364  
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Originally Posted by mduell
I'm sort of amazed at all the claims that fares previously were the same price all the time for every flight all day, and now those are the BE fares. I've never seen such fare consistency flight to flight or day to day as people are claiming existed.
I mean, in this case it's actually pretty clear. In most markets, UA has chosen to file basic economy fares by taking an existing fare (e.g. KAA2AREN), and changing it to a BE fare (KAA2ARBN). They then re-file KAA2AREN at an amount equal to the original fare plus the differential. They even file KAA2ARDN at the original price point (standard Economy valid until BE travel starts) just to make the point.

A few markets (ORD-MSP, LAX-MSP, IAH-MSY have been reported) instead add a new -BN fare by subtracting the differential from the existing fare and filing that.
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Old Apr 21, 2017, 2:21 pm
  #1365  
 
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BE rolled out to SAN last night!

Looks like only IAH, DEN, ORD for now. Won't affect me thank God as I always have to connect. But ya know what they say: First they came for MSP and I said nothing...
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