BE AWARE - new UA Basic Economy Fares

The same people Delta is attracting with their Basic E fares.... the many leisure travelers who don't give a crap about anything but getting the absolute cheapest fare. They complain about lack of legroom, they complain about lack of meals, they complain about crappy flight times and on and on and on, but in the end they continue to book the cheapest fares they can find.

LOL--Reminds me of a certain segment with loyalty status in a certain cruise line. I just can't understand the mentality. Other than maybe wearing a cheap pin with a plastic bauble feeds their ego to the point that they can't see starting over with another line and being a peon again.

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I have seen massive crackdowns at the gate lately. T

My DW and I were boarding, she wasn't feeling well so I had my camera bag, my rollaboard trailing behind me and carrying her rollerboard.

Same GA, she went first, I followed, both our names appeared on the screen but as I go down the jet way the GA chases me saying I had to pay to check the 2nd roller board.

Of course my DW was round the bend in the jetway and the GA is not believing that I'm carrying my wife's bag she was ahead of me. This started to get serious until a kind passenger next down the jetway went and got my DW to come back and claim her bag.

I thought that was a little bit overboard...

Oh sorry, I must have been hallucinating again, when the nonrev who boarded after me, was in his seat, and the gate agent told him he had to vacate his seat for a revenue passenger.

 

I happen to fly very successfully to a cruise, just about every month. :)

What probably happened (and PLEASE don't quote me here because I'm only guessing) is what has happened to me, and many who have flown employee standby. Usually 15-20 minutes before departure, the ticket agent will make one FINAL gate call for all passengers for boarding, saying to the effect 'If all paying passengers are aboard, all remaining seats are released and standby boarding will begin'. Then any remaining seats are issued to stanbys by some type of priority. More than once, I've been given a seat, gone down the jetway, stowed my carry-on, sat down, buckled up, only to have the gate come down and say, 'Sorry, the PAYING passenger showed up at the last moment,demanded his seat, so off you go'. Perhaps, that's why he was suddenly removed. Some agents will NOT removed anybody who's already boarded (regardless of status) after the 15 minute deadline. It's his gate, his decision. I was, in no way,casting any doubts on what you saw.

Mac

What probably happened (and PLEASE don't quote me here because I'm only guessing) is what has happened to me, and many who have flown employee standby. Usually 15-20 minutes before departure, the ticket agent will make one FINAL gate call for all passengers for boarding, saying to the effect 'If all paying passengers are aboard, all remaining seats are released and standby boarding will begin'. Then any remaining seats are issued to stanbys by some type of priority. More than once, I've been given a seat, gone down the jetway, stowed my carry-on, sat down, buckled up, only to have the gate come down and say, 'Sorry, the PAYING passenger showed up at the last moment,demanded his seat, so off you go'. Perhaps, that's why he was suddenly removed. Some agents will NOT removed anybody who's already boarded (regardless of status) after the 15 minute deadline. It's his gate, his decision. I was, in no way,casting any doubts on what you saw.

 

Mac

I always breath a sigh of relief when the door closes and we push back.

What probably happened (and PLEASE don't quote me here because I'm only guessing) is what has happened to me, and many who have flown employee standby. Usually 15-20 minutes before departure, the ticket agent will make one FINAL gate call for all passengers for boarding, saying to the effect 'If all paying passengers are aboard, all remaining seats are released and standby boarding will begin'. Then any remaining seats are issued to stanbys by some type of priority. More than once, I've been given a seat, gone down the jetway, stowed my carry-on, sat down, buckled up, only to have the gate come down and say, 'Sorry, the PAYING passenger showed up at the last moment,demanded his seat, so off you go'. Perhaps, that's why he was suddenly removed. Some agents will NOT removed anybody who's already boarded (regardless of status) after the 15 minute deadline. It's his gate, his decision. I was, in no way,casting any doubts on what you saw.

 

 

 

Mac

Sometimes that person is arriving late through no fault of their own. When their late arriving connecting flight lands in terminal A as boarding is halfway done in terminal D, the carriers have no choice but to board the ticketed passenger. Particularly when the idiot gate agent in D starts boarding 10 minutes early because he is miserable and wants to go home early. Yup, that late arrival was me, sweating and out of breathe after doing the OJ sprint through the airport.

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I always breath a sigh of relief when the door closes and we push back.

However, I ONCE actually had the ground gate crew pull the airplane back into the gate, put the jet way back on said plane, open the door, and a gate agent asked for me to come forward w/carry on. :( In my many,many years of flying, that (luckily) was the only time that had ever happened. Usually, once the door's closed, WheeeeeeeHooo! you're safe ! Actually you're not (or at least at my airline) UNTILL they disconnect the towbar, until then, the plane is considered 'at the gate' BUT, being towed back, is up the Captain, if he's running late, he might nix the whole idea. It'd ruin his on time schedule for the next city. So, I always told any non-revs, AFTER that one time, I NEVER start breathing till I 'feel' the plane turn and begin to taxi !! Yipeeeeeee ! Made it !

Mac

Sometimes that person is arriving late through no fault of their own. When their late arriving connecting flight lands in terminal A as boarding is halfway done in terminal D, the carriers have no choice but to board the ticketed passenger. Particularly when the idiot gate agent in D starts boarding 10 minutes early because he is miserable and wants to go home early. Yup, that late arrival was me, sweating and out of breathe after doing the OJ sprint through the airport.

 

 

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Completely understand. :) As the ole saying goes,' Ya pays your money, ya takes ya chances'. ALL airline non revs and hopefully their immediate family realize that they COULD and will be taken off any flight for a late passenger if the plane hasn't left the gate. The quickest way to lose forever your pass benefits is make a fuss. It's something the management BIGGIES will not tolerate.

Mac

However, I ONCE actually had the ground gate crew pull the airplane back into the gate, put the jet way back on said plane, open the door, and a gate agent asked for me to come forward w/carry on. :( In my many,many years of flying, that (luckily) was the only time that had ever happened. Usually, once the door's closed, WheeeeeeeHooo! you're safe ! Actually you're not (or at least at my airline) UNTILL they disconnect the towbar, until then, the plane is considered 'at the gate' BUT, being towed back, is up the Captain, if he's running late, he might nix the whole idea. It'd ruin his on time schedule for the next city. So, I always told any non-revs, AFTER that one time, I NEVER start breathing till I 'feel' the plane turn and begin to taxi !! Yipeeeeeee ! Made it !

 

Mac

OMG! I've never heard of that happening but I guess anything is possible. So now I'll wait for that sigh of relief.

Completely understand. :) As the ole saying goes,' Ya pays your money, ya takes ya chances'. ALL airline non revs and hopefully their immediate family realize that they COULD and will be taken off any flight for a late passenger if the plane hasn't left the gate. The quickest way to lose forever your pass benefits is make a fuss. It's something the management BIGGIES will not tolerate.

 

Mac

Agreed. It's the reason my son is always very careful to whom he gives a buddy pass. I've witnessed some pretty rude behavior at the gate and if I can figure out who they are, I check the stand by list and its usually a buddy traveling alone.

Agreed. It's the reason my son is always very careful to whom he gives a buddy pass. I've witnessed some pretty rude behavior at the gate and if I can figure out who they are, I check the stand by list and its usually a buddy traveling alone.

I gave a 'buddy pass' to my brother-in-law (wife's brother) when he married in 08 for Disney World in April. Not thinking about school spring break, and OMG!! When he got to the airport he was like, one hundred and twenty out of two hundred standbys. :(He** of a way to start your Honeymoon, huh ?? He told me there was a man there from NYC using a buddy pass who was literally screaming at the gate agent,using very ugly profanity (M/F this. F***K THIS F/U, and so on) and ended his tirade with, 'I paid $150 dollars EXTRA for this G/D pass and NOW I FIND OUT IT AIN'T WOTH A S**T!!' The gate agent immediately called the airport police and had to have the man dragged away. Even my BIL knew that kind of action was a BIG No No, for any non-rev pass rider and told his new wife, 'SOMEBODY'S gonna get in BIG trouble for this. I told him I was sure some hapless airline employee probably lost their pass benefits FOREVER.

Mac

What probably happened (and PLEASE don't quote me here because I'm only guessing) is what has happened to me, and many who have flown employee standby. Usually 15-20 minutes before departure, the ticket agent will make one FINAL gate call for all passengers for boarding, saying to the effect 'If all paying passengers are aboard, all remaining seats are released and standby boarding will begin'. Then any remaining seats are issued to stanbys by some type of priority. More than once, I've been given a seat, gone down the jetway, stowed my carry-on, sat down, buckled up, only to have the gate come down and say, 'Sorry, the PAYING passenger showed up at the last moment,demanded his seat, so off you go'. Perhaps, that's why he was suddenly removed. Some agents will NOT removed anybody who's already boarded (regardless of status) after the 15 minute deadline. It's his gate, his decision. I was, in no way,casting any doubts on what you saw.

 

Mac

Opposite of what you claimed in your post 92, with your "Non Revs do NOT get on until every paying passenger is boarded" reference?

I gave a 'buddy pass' to my brother-in-law (wife's brother) when he married in 08 for Disney World in April. Not thinking about school spring break, and OMG!! When he got to the airport he was like, one hundred and twenty out of two hundred standbys. :(He** of a way to start your Honeymoon, huh ?? He told me there was a man there from NYC using a buddy pass who was literally screaming at the gate agent,using very ugly profanity (M/F this. F***K THIS F/U, and so on) and ended his tirade with, 'I paid $150 dollars EXTRA for this G/D pass and NOW I FIND OUT IT AIN'T WOTH A S**T!!' The gate agent immediately called the airport police and had to have the man dragged away. Even my BIL knew that kind of action was a BIG No No, for any non-rev pass rider and told his new wife, 'SOMEBODY'S gonna get in BIG trouble for this. I told him I was sure some hapless airline employee probably lost their pass benefits FOREVER.

 

Mac

Yes, spring break can sneak up on us and make it difficult to non rev. At least he wasn't at the end of the list! Hope he eventually made it on a flight.

Brighton Line, I think they are just practicing for next year. I often go down the jetway with at least one of DW's bags. We rarely use roller boards but I used to travel with a roller board size camera bag. No one ever stopped me we do stick together on the jetway.

Bottom line on Basic Economy is they are trying what CO tried years ago with peanuts fares and UA tried with TED. Both failed miserably. CO was so bad with peanuts fares I stopped flying with them until Gordon Bethune took over and got things fixed up to semi-reasonable.

Following up on our discussing from a year or so ago...

There is every reason to think that they will continue spreading these fares across their entire schedule.

If United does something, and it "takes" (i.e., travelers partake of their basic economy fares enough to justify the marketing expense), then it is irrational to believe that American and Delta will not follow that lead.

Time will tell. I'm curious to see how it goes... I'm going to put a reminder in my calendar to revisit this thread this time next year and see if these industry experts were correct.

Is this for domestic flights only?

I just read this. We bought a bargain basement US fare to Singapore and Manila this past June for travel next month. First time ever for buying air this far out.

This post caused me to check the tickets. It appears that we are fine. We travel with on international size carry on roller and one small personal item. Looks this this is fine, in fact paperwork seems to indicate that we could check 2 bags each if we wanted for n/c.

What are you referring to?

There is a different article that touched on what you've mentioned. Delta is making a change to the basic economy international baggage allowance that will apply to tickets bought after Dec. 6 for flights departing April 10 and beyond: https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2017/12/08/delta-charge-checked-bags-basic-economy-fares-europe/934073001/

This post may have been entered by voice recognition. Please excuse any typographical errors.

Is this for domestic flights only?

 

I just read this. We bought a bargain basement US fare to Singapore and Manila this past June for travel next month. First time ever for buying air this far out.

US (code for USAirways) is defunct. Were you referring to United (UA)?

If you are looking for baggage info, the best place would be the UA website, followed by a call to UA.

l believe what he meant was he bought a ticket from the United States to international locations.

I believe that the airlines are only selling the discounted Basic Economy fares for domestic flights. International flights are not included in those fare packages.

It is a UA, United Airlines, fare. From Canada, through SFO, to SIng. Back home through Manila.

I did not look on the United website. I reviewed the info with the eticket that UA sent to me. Two bag allowance each, up to 50lbs each, and some blurb about the mileage plus credit that we will receive. All UA except the Manila-Narita section on the way home.

The airfares from Canada to S/E Asia and to Australia/NZ have been incredibly low this year. Lowest prices in four years and low in popular times as well. And to China. We picked up an escorted tour to China in May with direct airfare on Hainan for less than the cost of the air itself. Not certain why prices are so low even taking into account supply/demand.

I believe that the airlines are only selling the discounted Basic Economy fares for domestic flights. International flights are not included in those fare packages.

Not the case. Delta is rolling out BE right now for international travel and UA and AA are right behind.

More info can be found at THIS LINK.

Not the case. Delta is rolling out BE right now for international travel and UA and AA are right behind.

 

More info can be found at THIS LINK.

Just wondering....does the free checked bag perk that most airline CC’s have cover a checked bag on a BE ticket?

Just wondering....does the free checked bag perk that most airline CC’s have cover a checked bag on a BE ticket?

I don't know what airline, you're asking about. If it's UA, this information is on UA's webpage. Assume it's the same for the other airlines.

I don't know what airline, you're asking about. If it's UA, this information is on UA's webpage. Assume it's the same for the other airlines.

LOL...between DH and myself we have the trifecta of airline CC's. Believe it or not each comes in handy in their own way. AA to purchase miles for business class seat when it works out cost wise, United (sign up bonus holdover) and Delta (home airport is a hub).

Can’t understand the logic of one buying a BE ticket for an international flight! Two flights to Europe in the past 3-4 months, with both being oversold. Who do you think will get bumped if they have no volunteers for a bump?

No prior seat selection! Someone has to set in those middle seats in the rear of the plane on those 3-4-3 or 3-5-3 configurations!

Interesting thought, will parents be allowed to buy regular Economy tickets and then buy BE for their small children? I could see wars ahead on seat assignments, if so!

Can’t understand the logic of one buying a BE ticket for an international flight! Two flights to Europe in the past 3-4 months, with both being oversold.