UA and AA Basic Economy now on sale

Both UA and AA have started sales of their new Basic Economy fares. At this time, UA is not seriously impacting the cruise traveller as their Basic fares are only being offered from MSP to their hubs (though IAH, EWR and LAX may apply). AA, on the other hand, is starting this on a number of "cruise port" routes such as CLT-MCO, DFW-TPA, MIA-MSY, PHL-MSY, PHL-MIA and PHL-FLL (and a few others). These are for non-stop flights between the cities and are not available/offered for connecting flights (again, at this time).

A pair of blog articles on the UA and AA rollouts are out. LINK HERE and LINK HERE.

As I posted before, these fares are not new lower fares, but rather are designed to try to incentivize passengers to "buy-up" to standard economy tickets.

Just a few weeks ago there were a few posters claiming that this would never happen.

Just a few weeks ago there were a few posters claiming that this would never happen.

No, just one poster, who apparently was not willing to believe information provided by the airline. It was not "a few."

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2423848&page=6

Fair enough... sometimes the clamor of one sounds like multitudes. :)

UPDATED: Actually, reviewing that thread, it was not just one poster. Several were resisting the idea that this was going to eventually be the new normal for economy cabin pricing.

"Resisting" isn't the same as saying it was never going to happen.

I cannot see how these fares are going to help anyone going on a cruise. I know for us it is enough of struggle to get by on two bags at 50 pounds each plus our carry on bags. I have little experience with AA but the whole thing reminds of CO with their peanuts fares and UA with TED....neither succeeded so I am curious to see how these pan out in the long run.

These fares will only help the airlines selling them. My rationale for posting is to let folks, who often just buy on "cheapest", know what they are actually getting and how it will affect their travel.

While UA and AA are introducing these fares, Delta has announced that they will begin serving complimentary main cabin meals on select coast to coast flights!

While UA and AA are introducing these fares, Delta has announced that they will begin serving complimentary main cabin meals on select coast to coast flights!

And thank you DL...About time a carrier gave something back that they had taken away.

Give DL time. They'll introduce similar fares fleet wide eventually.

While UA and AA are introducing these fares, Delta has announced that they will begin serving complimentary main cabin meals on select coast to coast flights!

Give DL time. They'll introduce similar fares fleet wide eventually.

Delta was the actually the first to offer a "basic" economy or E fare, sometime last year I think? or maybe even a little earlier. It was/is on selected routes only, but they haven't taken them away so it appear that they've been a success. (further evidenced by the fact that UA/AA have now introduced similar products.

As for the transcon coach meals, I believe those are for SFO/LAX to JFK and vice versa, so. flyers who connect through ATL need not get too excited.

Indeed, and I suspect that those cross-country nonstop flights generally don't get a big allocation (or any allocation perhaps) of heavily-discounted fares.

Delta was the actually the first to offer a "basic" economy or E fare, sometime last year I think? or maybe even a little earlier. It was/is on selected routes only, but they haven't taken them away so it appear that they've been a success. (further evidenced by the fact that UA/AA have now introduced similar products.

 

 

As for the transcon coach meals, I believe those are for SFO/LAX to JFK and vice versa, so. flyers who connect through ATL need not get too excited.

Correct. However, in April Delta will expand comp meals to 10 other major markets-all transcon but ATL not included.

Last week I sit next to the gate loading the UA EWR-MIA flight. I would have expected that to be one of their competitive cheap fare routes, maybe not. As with our flight, early boarding still went "Those with small children or needing extra time to board" were allowed on first. No differentiation as to class of economy ticket. Still haven't witnessed any changes, as the fare rules might indicate, in those procedures.

I checked out a few of the new "sales" fares compared to what I saw those same fares before New Years during AA's sale then. Prices are across the board higher in this sale, than in that sale! Getting to be like Macys, when is a sale really a sale and a sales price compared to what? ;p

Last week I sit next to the gate loading the UA EWR-MIA flight. I would have expected that to be one of their competitive cheap fare routes, maybe not. As with our flight, early boarding still went "Those with small children or needing extra time to board" were allowed on first. No differentiation as to class of economy ticket. Still haven't witnessed any changes, as the fare rules might indicate, in those procedures.

;p

This post doesn't really make any sense. UA boards by boarding group not "class of economy ticket".

Dave;

When I read the fare rules for the cheaper class of new fares it appeared to read that:

1. No early seat assignment, only done at the airport.

2. Assigned to last boarding group.

My comment was I have not seen #2 in effect. If "those with small children and those needing extra time to board" are boarded first, regardless of printed boarding group on the ticket, UA is effectively not enforcing #2 for those that may be on special cut rate fares. Make sense now? Some of those young families may be the very ones attracted to the cut rate fares.

Preboarding is preboarding. It isn't a boarding group in the sense implied.

Of course, apart from that, airlines may continue to crack down on excess preboarding, perhaps even motivated by the desire to draw a bigger distinction between the service provided to different fare classes

This message may have been entered using voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

This post doesn't really make any sense. UA boards by boarding group not "class of economy ticket".

UA appears to have changed boarding policy yet again. Looks as if those with children under age of two get preboarding, no matter what their ticket class:

https://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/travel/airport/boarding-process.aspx

And high status flyers, and those who purchased tickets with qualifying UA branded credit cards and bought Basic Economy, are not going to be in last boarding group. I'm not sure if they will also retain their free checked bag privileges.

Last week I sit next to the gate loading the UA EWR-MIA flight. I would have expected that to be one of their competitive cheap fare routes, maybe not.

I guess you didn't read the details in the first post that said:

"At this time, UA is not seriously impacting the cruise traveller as their Basic fares are only being offered from MSP to their hubs (though IAH, EWR and LAX may apply)"

So EWR-MIA is NOT a current market for UA's basic economy.

My comment was I have not seen #2 in effect. If "those with small children and those needing extra time to board" are boarded first, regardless of printed boarding group on the ticket, UA is effectively not enforcing #2 for those that may be on special cut rate fares. Make sense now? Some of those young families may be the very ones attracted to the cut rate fares.

When you fly UA between MSP and their hubs, you will see it. But not for the rest of the UA system (at least until there is expansion to other routes).

Economy on UA has window assigned to group 3, middle to group 4, and aisle is group 5. BE is supposed to get put in group 5, at least until UA re-jiggers the boarding order.

Groups 1 and 2 are frequent flyers with various status, first/business, certain credit card holders, or folks that have purchased "premier access". It can happen that half the plane has priority boarding.

I do wonder how UA will handle pre-boarders on BE fares. Perhaps they'll program the BP scanner to give a raspberry when it sees a BE ticket, and the gate agent will make them stand to the side. Should be interesting to see how it all shakes out.

The full rollout of the Basic Economy on UA has happened. As predicted, not lower fares but rather less product for the same money. This applies to both non-stop and connecting itineraries. No seat selection, no ticket changes and no free carryon bag. More can be found at THIS POST from Gary Leff's blog.

Key takeaway from the article:

if you’d consider traveling on one of these fares at least be sure to check:

 

1. Pricing on Delta, since you can still bring a carry on bag even in their basic economy markets
   
2. Pricing on Southwest, Alaska Airlines, and JetBlue which don’t have Basic Economy restrictions
   
3. Pricing on any other airline because a connecting flight on American isn’t going to offer basic economy at this point even though some of their non-stop routes do.
   

So for those who just gravitate to the lowest price, caveat emptor.

What happens when one with Airline "status" buys a BE ticket? Does status override ticketClass or vie versus?

I think a lot of inexperienced flyers will be buying these tickets not knowing what they have bought!

If the Knuckleheads at HS get their way with banning anything larger tha a cellphone for ALL passengers, will carry on policies even matter any more?

What happens when one with Airline "status" buys a BE ticket? Does status override ticketClass or vie versus?....

I am only familiar with UA's program. Passengers with some level of Premier status (and co-branded Chase credit card holders) will be allowed a full-sized carry-on bag, and they will retain their boarding priority.

These Basic Economy passengers will not be eligible for Economy Plus seating, nor eligible for any type of upgrade to F, paid or complimentary

They will earn basic mileage points, but no credit toward Premier status, or lifetime mile accrual.

Of you are interested in nuances, please refer to the United web site.

I am only familiar with UA's program. Passengers with some level of Premier status (and co-branded Chase credit card holders) will be allowed a full-sized carry-on bag, and they will retain their boarding priority.

 

These Basic Economy passengers will not be eligible for Economy Plus seating, nor eligible for any type of upgrade to F, paid or complimentary

They will earn basic mileage points, but no credit toward Premier status, or lifetime mile accrual.

 

Of you are interested in nuances, please refer to the United web site.

Both AA and UA are going to give JetBlue(on the east coast) and Alaska (on the west coast) an opening with this. More and more the remaining 3 are pushing their previous loyal economy passengers up for grabs. Maybe the yields from people like me as so low that they just don't really care.

Of course many of us are likely to adapt to "paying more for less." I needed to adapt when my favorite Mexican airline Volaris went to a near ultra discount model. I complained and wrote a letter as a loyal passenger, but this was really just a "feel good" exercise as Volaris has most of the flights from Tijuana - my local Mexican airport. Now I even buy upgraded seats from time to time as I am tall.