United basic Premium Plus fares: what you’ll pay

Zach Griff

2 hours ago

ZACH GRIFF

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United is officially bringing basic fares to Premium Plus.

We’ve known this move was coming ever since the airline announced it back in early April, but United has taken a staggered approach to the rollout.

After launching basic fares on long-haul Polaris and domestic business class, the airline has now turned its attention to its purple premium economy seats.

Here’s what you need to know.

Basic Premium Plus tickets vary in price

Unlike basic Polaris tickets, which are pegged at $400 below the standard fare, these bare-bones premium economy fares don’t follow a fixed buy-up.

I searched dozens of flights across different regions and generally found that the basic Premium Plus ticket runs about $300 cheaper than the standard one.

That said, there were some markets — most notably Newark to Europe — where the buy-up dropped to as low as $150 and climbed as high as $550.

Domestically, United is charging between $215 and $450 more for a standard Premium Plus fare over a basic one.

I don’t have historical Premium Plus 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.

That said, these buy-ups feel much steeper than the $400 jump for long-haul Polaris fares.

Basic Premium Plus tickets come with the following restrictions:

No free seat selection
One checked bag instead of two
No changes or refunds
No upgrades using miles or PlusPoints

Note that basic Premium Plus tickets don’t earn MileagePlus miles or Premier Qualifying Points, unless you’re a Premier member or carry a cobranded United card.

Premium Plus seat assignment fees

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

You can pay to choose a seat anytime before check-in, or wait until check-in opens and take whatever is left within 24 hours of departure, which will likely be a middle seat.

I went through dozens of basic Premium Plus fares to see how much United is charging by seat type.

Route	Window or aisle	Center aisle	Center middle
IAH-LIM	$79	$69	N/A — no middle seats on the 767
EWR-FRA	$79	$69	$54
SFO-SYD	$109	$99	$79
EWR-LAX	$64	$54	$39

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 seats, even though the bulkhead has a bit more room to move around.
The pricing hierarchy matches how I would rank Premium Plus seats from least desirable to most desirable.
Seat assignment fees vary based on the duration of the long-haul flight.
Domestic economy seat assignments are included with a base Premium Plus ticket. You’ll only need to pay for extra legroom if you decide to upgrade.
Families traveling with children will likely still be seated together automatically, even if they do not pay for seat assignments.

Is basic Premium Plus worth it?

United’s basic Premium Plus fares are now live in many more markets, and the value proposition is mixed.

Personally, I hate paying more for the same experience I used to get included with my ticket. In that regard, this is yet another fare hike dressed up as a new option.

Depending on the buy-up, the standard fare is often the better deal. Not only will it include a seat assignment, but if you’re even on the fence about whether you might need to change or cancel, you’ll have far more flexibility with a standard ticket.

That said, the upgrade from basic to standard Premium Plus varies by route and date. If it’s $300 or less, it probably makes sense to pay up for the standard fare.

If not, I’d seriously consider basic — you’re not giving up that much to save the money.

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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