Fare class vs. fare basis code
 

I'm booking a flight (US domestic), and I want flexibility to confirm a same-day change. When I use the advanced search to restrict to higher fare classes, I see a flight with the following results:

Economy--L class, $144 (fare basis code LAX2PKEN)
Requested fare class--B class, $224 (fare basis code LAX2PKIN)

Should I be worried that the fare basis code for the B class fare starts with an L? Is there a good guide for interpreting United fare basis codes? (The guides I've read on blogs all say "the first letter is your fare class," so either this is an L class fare or I'm reading bad guides.)

I just want to be sure my fare will read as a B class fare in the UA system, since that's far more likely to be available for same-day change than an L fare. Thanks!

That has not been true for years

Likely this is a B fare that also requires both B & L inventory. So if L inventory is sold out, this B fare would not be available. This commonly used for first class fares, part of the First Class Monetization (FCM) where F is a fixed differential above the lowest economy fare but also used for fare classes

Strictly speaking the L inventory would be needed also, some agents may enforce that but beleive the app does not (yet).

Domestically, first letter of fare basis code only matches booking class for main cabin coach fares. For BE, domestic PE and FC fares, first letter from fare basis code is a coach fare class and does not match the booking class. There is a dual inventory check for such fares (must be both coach inventory in the first letter of the fare basis code, and inventory in the booking class of the fare). PE fares can be identified by second to last character of the fare basis code as it will be an 'I' or an 'O'. Coach fares have an 'E', Basic Economy have a 'B', and FC will have a 'P'. If you have an ExpertFlyer account, you can lookup the booking class by selecting the routing rules for a fare by it's fare basis code (under the BK column).

Edit to add, I guess I forgot 'B' fares are actually Economy Plus on UA domestically (I in second to last character of fare basis code). Similar to how DL sells it's Comfort Plus cabin as separate fares (W and S booking classes).

I'm confused. Are you saying that B LAX2PKIN should be a PE fare due to the I? Because to my non-expert eyes, it looks like a coach fare that books into coach (B). I thought the only PE rev buckets were OAR? Also UA doesn't have Main Cabin. I'm assuming you meant Economy?

And to piggyback off of WC, IMO the fare basis and booking code match 99% of the time so I think that's a reasonable expectation for the public. Granted, I don't spend hundreds (yes I said hundreds and not thousands) on fancy Y-UP tickets like some of you! Proud to say I finished last year with 59 PQP :O

As noted above, the first letter of fare basis code has not been a reliable way of telling you the booking class or if you are booking a coach cabin fare or not for many years (although it is still mostly true on international fares which is perhaps what you are thinking of). DL and AA do the same thing with their fare basis codes. DL refers to it as "branded" fare products -- https://pro.delta.com/content/agency...structure.html

Basically, there aren't enough letters in the alphabet to give these additional cabin types their own unique fare booking classes to match up with the coach fare booking classes. So they effectively extended the range of available classes by using a coach and booking class tuple for fares which don't book into coach cabin.

The "Y-UP" thing is an old timey designation from when fare basis codes only had 6 or 7 letters. They would append a "/YUP" ticket designator to coach fare basis codes and call them "coach with instant upgrade" fares. It's not really relevant these days with the expanded 8 letter fare basis codes and the F/J fares are truly F/J, and not coach, even if the fare basis codes start with coach fare classes.

WineCountryUA answered the OP question correctly, namely the fare rules required both L and B inventory, but that the app and some agents will truncate this to B inventory (we think, not sure if anyone has tried this specific case, but other dual-inventory fares have worked this way in the past).



It is a Premium Economy type fare (ZOA) which is meaningful in basically zero ways that affect the passenger.

United uses fares with 'I' in 7th position to convey an Economy Plus entitlement at booking and thereby market an "Economy Plus" fare. I believe the backend logic is "fare type is Premium Economy, primary rbd is B, then permit seat selection in Economy Plus".

To actually sit in a true Premium Economy cabin (Premium Plus on UA metal), you do indeed require a primary rbd of O, A, or R. These fares have an 'O' in 7th position.

For example, compare this "Economy Plus" fare on SFO-EWR:

Code:

---

    V FARE BASIS    BK    FARE  TRAVEL-TICKET AP  MINMAX  RTG
  1  KAA4PHIN      B‡X  267.00    ----    14/1  -/  -    1
PASSENGER TYPE-ADT                AUTO PRICE-YES             
FROM-SFO TO-EWR    CXR-UA    TVL-12MAR22  RULE-EIH2 DFR/11
FARE BASIS-KAA4PHIN          SPECIAL FARE  DIS-N  VENDOR-ATP
FARE TYPE-ZOA      OW-PREMIUM ECON OW APEX NON-REFUNDABLE
USD  248.37  0001  E09OCT20 D-INFINITY  FC-KAA4PHIN  FN-P9 
SYSTEM DATES - CREATED 07MAR22/1930  EXPIRES INFINITY
 
PUBLISHED RTG SFO-EWR/UA1  /TAR-DRG1    EF-07MAR22 DIS-INDEF
 
 TRAVEL MUST BE NONSTOP
.

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to this actual PE fare (books into R):

Code:

---

    V FARE BASIS    BK    FARE  TRAVEL-TICKET AP  MINMAX  RTG
  1  KAA4PHON      R‡X  287.00    ----    14/1  -/  -  596
PASSENGER TYPE-ADT                AUTO PRICE-YES             
FROM-SFO TO-EWR    CXR-UA    TVL-12MAR22  RULE-PEH2 DFR/11
FARE BASIS-KAA4PHON          SPECIAL FARE  DIS-N  VENDOR-ATP
FARE TYPE-ZON      OW-PREMIUM ECON SELL-UP OW NON-REF
USD  266.98  0596  E09OCT20 D-INFINITY  FC-KAA4PHON  FN-P9 
SYSTEM DATES - CREATED 07MAR22/1930  EXPIRES INFINITY
 
PUBLISHED RTG SFO-EWR/UA596 /TAR-DRG1    EF-07MAR22 DIS-INDEF
 
MAP CONSTRUCTED LEFT TO RIGHT AND RIGHT TO LEFT
 1. SFO-SFO/LAX-EWR
 2. SFO-EWR
.

---

Both require K space as well.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sexykitten7 (Post 34069093)

And to piggyback off of WC, IMO the fare basis and booking code match 99% of the time so I think that's a reasonable expectation for the public. Granted, I don't spend hundreds (yes I said hundreds and not thousands) on fancy Y-UP tickets like some of you! Proud to say I finished last year with 59 PQP :O

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A reasonable expectation of the public is that they don't even pay attention to the little letter next to "United Economy", let alone that they have any idea what a fare basis is or that the first letter should match their rbd.

Domestic First fares have used differential pricing for over a decade, as have Basic Economy fares since their inception. Many international PE fares are now priced differentially as well, meaning maybe 60% of pax are flying with a fare basis that matches their rbd.

I don't understand why this isn't a Premium Economy fare based on the fact that it says "PREMIUM ECON OW APEX NON-REFUNDABLE". I think it's the FARE TYPE that matters (ZOA in this case) and not the primary booking code.

It's a bit confusing, but the applicable cabin is noted in the fare rules for the fare, not the routing rules which is what is being shown above --

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ade60610c4.png

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...557d0e4d63.png

Primary rbd is the only thing that determines cabin entitlement on a practical basis.

Including when it is obviously incorrect, such as this AC error fare.

Didn't even realize that UA sold fares which conferred E+ in the fare rules, as opposed to add-ons/buy-ups during the booking process or afterwards.

Does UA market these fares in this manner on the website?

As far as I am aware, they do not. The fares have come and gone (quietly) over the months since November 2019 but I don't believe UA has done a marketing rollout.

Just 1 public case I am aware of a PremPlus ticket but no PremPlus on a connecting flight (and rbd is B)

Could be some corporate fares also

Lot of benefits to filing E+ fares this way. Corporates can get discounts, better visibility on GDSs, etc.... plus DL (and maybe AA?) already does E+ this way. Would imagine it is coming in a big way soon

A has been hinting at this for years, [Unconfirmed] UA Preparing to Sell E+ at Booking as Separate Cabin (like DL C+) but backed off initial rollout in 2019

RBD = ?