United Airlines is eliminating one of the frustrating restrictions associated with its basic economy offering, as flagged by Zach Griff.
United adds online check-in for basic economy
United basic economy comes with several restrictions. One of those is that you can’t check-in online on most itineraries. That’s because basic economy in most markets doesn’t include a carry-on bag, and passengers have to go to the check-in counter to show that they only have a personal item.
Fortunately this policy will be changing shortly. As of August 6, 2024, United will start allowing basic economy passengers to check-in online, either via the website or mobile app, as well as at kiosks. Therefore United passengers will no longer have to wait to have an agent manually verify that they don’t have a carry-on.
There is one catch, though. With this policy change, United basic economy passengers will have to put a credit card on file when they check-in, and they’ll be charged $65 in the event that they show up at the gate with a full size carry-on. That fee is for the standard $40 first checked bag fee if you pay at the airport, plus an additional $25 gate handling fee.
United has reportedly been testing this development at its Chicago (ORD) hub for quite some time, and found that the company’s net promoter score increased when basic economy customers could check-in online. The airline also reportedly didn’t see an increase in the number of people showing up at the gate with a carry-on.
Suffice it to say that this is a positive change — it simplifies the travel process for basic economy passengers, and will also reduce the workload of United agents with checking people in.
United still has the most punitive basic economy policy
What I find interesting is that United continues to not allow basic economy passengers to travel with a carry-on in most markets, but rather they can only take a personal item. The only exceptions are that United MileagePlus elite members, Star Alliance Gold members, and those with a qualifying United MileagePlus credit card, can take a carry-on with them.
Of the “big three” US carriers, United is the only one to have such a policy, as American basic economy fares and Delta basic economy fares include a carry-on item.
In an industry where we so often see airlines match one another to remain competitive, this is something United has stayed consistent with, and I find it to be interesting how United keeps getting away with that. For that matter, United even brags about how it keeps seeing an uptick in basic economy bookings.
Bottom line
As of August 6, 2024, United Airlines will allow basic economy passengers to check-in online, representing a major policy shift for the airline. Passengers will have to provide a credit card during check-in, and in the event that they show up at the gate with a full size carry-on and aren’t eligible to take it, they’ll automatically be charged $65.
This is a positive change that makes things easier for everyone. However, perhaps the bigger takeaway here is that United is in a league of its own when it comes to how restrictive basic economy is.
What do you make of United eliminating its online check-in restriction for basic economy?
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