Of all the major US airlines, United Airlines’ basic economy fare is perhaps the most punishing.
Travelers who purchase the cheapest Basic Economy fare with United cannot bring a full-size carry-on bag. Because of this, United has historically prohibited Basic Economy fliers from checking in online to ensure that airport check-in agents can confirm that these passengers aren’t trying to sneak bags.
For many, that’s reason enough to upgrade to a standard economy fare.
But for those still determined to accept United’s tough restrictions, the Chicago-based carrier has some welcome news.
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Starting August 6, basic economy passengers will be able to check in for their flights online or on a mobile app before arriving at the airport. This kiosk also applies to check-in, so fliers will no longer have to wait for an agent to manually verify that they are not bringing a carry-on bag with them.
One catch is that during the check-in process, Basic Economy fliers must put a credit card on file and agree to a $65 charge if they bring a full-size carry-on to the gate.
This $65 fee is not new for Basic Economy customers who check bags. Currently, there is a $25 gate handling fee in addition to the bag fee, which is usually $40 but sometimes more if a customer is traveling with multiple checked bags.
As part of this change, United will always charge Basic Economy customers $65 if they bring a carry-on bag, regardless of how many bags they travel with.
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United said in an internal memo seen by TPG that the feature was tested at its Chicago hub for several months, and “the results were excellent,” the memo reads. The Chicago hub’s “Net Promoter Score increased as customers were able to complete check-in, and gate checked bags and bulkouts decreased as fewer customers brought bags to the gate,” reads the memo, which a carrier spokeswoman confirmed.
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While this is undoubtedly good news for United’s most budget-conscious travelers, it still doesn’t solve a major problem with these fares: that they don’t include carry-on bags. (The only exclusions are Premier Elite members and their travel companions, as well as Star Alliance Gold travelers or holders of a qualifying MileagePlus cobranded credit card.)
American and Delta allow Basic Economy fliers to bring a carry-on bag with each fare, making their cheaper offerings more attractive than United’s. That said, in recent years, United has added some new perks to make basic economy more attractive, including ticket flexibility and the ability to upgrade these fares.
And for everything you need to know about basic economy, you’ll want to check out TPG’s comparison of basic economy fares across US airlines.
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