Confused by the wording...United Airline

[cinderwannabe]

Does United allow first checked bag free or do they charge?

 

[DebbieB]

Does United allow first checked bag free or do they charge?

They charge. The free wording you are seeing is if you get their credit card.

 

[rwdavis2]

They charge. The free wording you are seeing is if you get their credit card.

Correct. If you have the CC you get at most 2 free checked bags even if you have a reservation for more than 2 people.

 

[bastraker]

Correct. If you have the CC you get at most 2 free checked bags even if you have a reservation for more than 2 people.

We always check at least 3 or 4 bags for 4 people when we fly United. We use the credit card and we never get charged baggage fees.

 

[rwdavis2]

Interesting. When I booked it said only 2 free. I'll have to see what happens when we check in.

 

[Mamiamjo]

Yes, it used to be that if you had their CC, you would get one free bag for everybody in your travel party.
They have recently changed it to cover only two people per reservation. Depending on when you last travelled you may have still been covered by the old rules.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

They charge. The free wording you are seeing is if you get their credit card.

Many travelers get free checked bags on United; military and their familes, Star Alliance Silver and up (higher status = more free checked bags), Presidental Plus and Mileage Plus Club members get 2 free bags, Mileage Plus Explorer And OnePass Plus card holders get one free bag, and full fare economy get 2 free checked bags.

For the cc holders, the rule now is the primary cardholder and one companion on the same reservation purchased with the cc get the free bag/s benefit; one or two bags each, depending on the type of cc.

The above is true for domestic travel only; for international travel from the US, everyone gets one free checked bag.

All of this information is easily found on United's website.

 

[3DisneyBuggs]

I was also confused. If you bought a full fare ticket- refundable, then your checked bag is free.

 

[DebbieB]

Many travelers get free checked bags on United; military and their familes, Star Alliance Silver and up (higher status = more free checked bags), Presidental Plus and Mileage Plus Club members get 2 free bags, Mileage Plus Explorer And OnePass Plus card holders get one free bag, and full fare economy get 2 free checked bags.

For the cc holders, the rule now is the primary cardholder and one companion on the same reservation purchased with the cc get the free bag/s benefit; one or two bags each, depending on the type of cc.

The above is true for domestic travel only; for international travel from the US, everyone gets one free checked bag.

All of this information is easily found on United's website.

That's true, there are other ways to get free bags.

I assumed the OP was talking about the wording on the United's home page, which refers to the credit card ("first checked bag free").

 

[cinderwannabe]

It was the "full fare economy" that threw me. What exactly does this mean? Is getting their cc worth it for free checked bags?

 

[uva185]

It was the "full fare economy" that threw me. What exactly does this mean? Is getting their cc worth it for free checked bags?

Full fare economy is the highest fare class within coach. Its fully refundable and typically more expensive than non-refundable First Class.

 

[DebbieB]

It was the "full fare economy" that threw me. What exactly does this mean? Is getting their cc worth it for free checked bags?

United shows the fare classes when you get the search results. Full Fare Economy would be Class Y. If you go under advanced search, you can enter specific fare classes. They are very expensive.

There is no fee for the credit card for the first year. After that, it's $95. This link reads you and your companion get free bags, so 2 people.

https://www.theexplorercard.com/

 

[cinderwannabe]

Thank you so much for all the info! I think when I am getting ready to book my trip, if united is still the cheapest, I will get their cc. I know that paying for a checked bag isn't that pricey (compared to what I will be spending for the trip itself) but for some reason it bothers me to have to pay it. Maybe it's b/c it's not the way it's always been.

 

[smi727]

Do you just have to have an open credit card account with United? I'm wondering if it would be worth it to sign up for a credit card & then just not use it. We put everything on our Disney Visas.

 

[DebbieB]

Do you just have to have an open credit card account with United? I'm wondering if it would be worth it to sign up for a credit card & then just not use it. We put everything on our Disney Visas.

Yes, there's no fee for the first year. You do get 25,000 miles for the first use of the card, so I would charge something to it. Cancel before the anniversary or you will be charged $95 annual fee. It might be worth to keep if you are flying at least once with them and are checking a bag each for 2 people ($25/bag/direction). I have a Delta card and have kept it past the anniversary because of the free bags, priority boarding and I use it for purchases to add miles to my account.

Earn 25,000 bonus miles after first use and 5,000 additional bonus miles after your first Card use and for adding an authorized user within two months of opening your account. Plus, earn 10,000 bonus miles when you spend $25,000 or more on your Card each calendar year.