United basic Polaris: what you’ll pay to pick a seat

Zach Griff

5 hours ago

ZACH GRIFF

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The opinions expressed are the author’s alone. Content is not reviewed or endorsed by an entity.

When United unveiled plans to bring basic fares to business class, it didn’t say how much these tickets would cost or what travelers would pay to choose a seat.

Now, the first batch of basic Polaris fares is on sale, and I dug through the new pricing to see exactly how much United is charging for these tickets and for seat assignments.

Here’s what you need to know.

Basic Polaris tickets are $400 cheaper

So far, United has rolled out basic fares in select South America markets.

When you choose Polaris in an eligible market, you will now see three fare types on the next screen: Base, Standard, and Flexible.

In every market I found, the gap between the basic and standard round-trip fare is $400. For what it is worth, the difference between standard and flexible is currently $500.

I don’t have access to historical Polaris fare data, so it’s difficult to know whether these new basic fares are actually cheaper than what United previously charged for the standard experience on the same route and dates.

Either way, a $400 upcharge to move from basic to standard feels roughly in line with what I would have expected. In Premium Plus, meanwhile, the jump from basic to standard currently appears to be $300 in South America markets.

As a reminder, basic Polaris tickets come with the following restrictions:

No free seat selection
One checked bag instead of two
No Polaris Lounge access
No changes or refunds
No upgrades to Polaris Studio

Note that base Polaris tickets don’t earn MileagePlus miles or Premier Qualifying Points — unless you are a Premier member or have a cobranded United card. More on that in this breaking story.

Polaris seat assignments are tiered

When you buy a basic Polaris ticket, you won’t receive a complimentary seat assignment.

You can pay to choose a seat any time before check-in, or wait until check-in opens and take whatever is left within 24 hours of departure, which likely will not be one of the better options.

I went through every basic Polaris fare I could find to compile a chart showing how much United is charging by seat type.

Route	Even-number center seat	Odd-number center seat	Even-number window seat	Odd-number window seat
EWR–LIM	$99 for all seats (because it’s a Boeing 757-200)
IAH–LIM	$79	$89	$89	$99
EWR–GRU	$94	$109	$109	$124
IAD–GRU	$94	$109	$109	$124
IAH–GRU	$94	$109	$109	$124
ORD–GRU	$109	$129	$129	$149
IAH–EZE	$109	$129	$129	$149

Here’s the chart for Premium Plus.

Route	Middle seat	Aisle of 4-across section	Window or aisle
IAH-EZE	$79	$99	$109

There are a few interesting things to note.

United isn’t charging different prices based on where in the cabin you want to sit. That means bulkhead seats cost the same as other odd-numbered window seats, even though the bulkhead has a larger footwell and more storage.
The pricing hierarchy broadly matches how I would rank Polaris and Premium Plus seats from least desirable to most desirable.
Seat assignment fees vary based on the duration of the long-haul flight.
Domestic first-class seat assignments cost $74 regardless of flight length. (This seems like something United will eventually revisit.)
Families traveling with children will likely still be seated together automatically, even if they do not pay for seat assignments.

Bottom line

United’s basic fares in premium cabins are officially here, and the value proposition is mixed.

Yes, you can save $400 by booking a basic Polaris fare, but you will also be giving up a long list of perks and flexibility.

One of the biggest tradeoffs is seat selection. And if you care about picking one of the better seats in United Polaris, expect to pay extra for it.

Zach Griff Author

Zach Griff is a travel expert who’s covered airlines, loyalty programs, credit cards, and travel tech for nearly a decade. He’s visited 60+ countries and regularly shares his insights across Instagram, TikTok and X — and at From the Tray Table.

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