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United revamps Basic Economy in Transatlantic market

4 December 2018 By Seth Miller Leave a Comment

United Airlines is rebranding its Basic Economy fares across the Atlantic, aligning more closely with JV partners
United Airlines is rebranding its Basic Economy fares across the Atlantic, aligning more closely with JV partners

Just six months ago United Airlines introduced a not-quite-Basic Economy fare option for transatlantic travels. Next week the company will complete the transition, formally rebranding the offering as Basic Economy. In an advisory to travel agents the company indicates that the change puts United’s offering more in line with joint venture partners Air Canada and Lufthansa Group airlines. The new fares and rules take effect on 11 December 2018.


Seat assignments and mileage earning appear to be the two main limitations of the revised basic economy offering for United across the Atlantic. Advance seat assignments must be purchased when booked in Basic Economy. Alternatively, travelers on these tickets will be assigned a seat at the airport for their journey. The fares are ineligible for any upgrades, whether to Polaris business class, Premium Plus premium economy or even the Economy Plus extra legroom seats. This applies to MileagePlus elite status members as well. For mileage earning the new rules will see credit towards elite status halved on these tickets. Other earning remains based on the fare paid and unchanged in that regard.

The new comparison chart for United's TATL fares clearly shows the reduced earnings and paid advance seat assignment option for the new Basic Economy seats
The new comparison chart for United’s TATL fares clearly shows the reduced earnings and paid advance seat assignment option for the new Basic Economy seats

As with the prior iteration of these fares the new Basic Economy offering comes with a fee for the first checked bag. The tickets also disallow any changes or refunds. Unlike the domestic Basic Economy option, however, passengers on the transatlantic version are permitted a full-sized carry-on bag plus a personal item on board. United will also allow for transatlantic basic economy passengers to check in online and to board with their normal group rather than last.

Read More: A not-quite-Basic Economy across the Atlantic


When the fares first launched over the summer the inconsistency between United’s implementation and that of its partners presented some challenges for marketing and passenger experience. United was also clear at the time that “these lowest-priced fares are the first step towards a Basic Economy product on trans-Atlantic United flights.” It seems the company finally completed the necessary tech changes internally to take that next step. In this case that improved consistency also means more passengers will pay more money for the same trip. That’s hardly ideal, but also not at all surprising. After all, the entire purpose of Basic Economy offerings is to increase airline revenue without improving the product on offer.

United Airlines will soon launch a "Preferred" seating section of the cabin. Seems likely passengers will need to pay extra to secure those seats.
United Airlines will soon launch a “Preferred” seating section of the cabin. Seems likely passengers will need to pay extra to secure those seats.

Presumably the same technology that enables the paid advance seat reservations for Basic Economy fares will also be used to implement the “preferred” seating fees for domestic economy class United announced in August 2018 for launch in Q4. Further details on timing for that remain unclear.

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Filed Under: Airplanes and Airports, Distribution

About Seth Miller

Seth Miller has over a decade of experience covering the airline industry. With a strong focus on passenger experience, Seth also has deep knowledge of inflight connectivity and loyalty programs. He is widely respected as an unbiased commentator on the aviation industry.

He is frequently consulted on innovations in passenger experience by airlines and technology providers.

You can connect with Seth on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

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