United charging for carry on for basic economy fare

[DisneyZB]

I didn't see anything posted here in regards to United starting to charge for carry on for basic economy fare and I thought some people might be interested.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/united-airlines-to-charge-less-restrict-bag-size

Unfortunately this seems to be the future trend and I don't doubt all airlines will do this eventually.

 

[bumbershoot]

This is a new type of fare. It's something you can choose to book or not book. Doesn't work for me, so I wouldn't book it.

 

[AquamarineSteph]

It's a little more bare bones than Delta's basic economy fare, but all of the airlines seem to be shifting toward this model. If it works for a person's travel style, it might be a good deal. It's nothing I'd book unless truly desperate. I like picking my seat and being able to stow my carryon bag.

 

[xlxo]

With additional seating, but not additional overhead space. Something had to be done. I starting to see smaller "under seat" carry-on's growing in popularity.
https://www.amazon.com/Ciao-Luggage-Carry-Wheeled-Airplane/dp/B01LTAP5ZE

I wonder when United will be charging for planes to have working landing gear....
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/23359...ment-united-express-jet-landing-gear-failure/

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

You can still carry on a piece of luggage with this ticket if you are a premier frequent flyer, Star Alliance Gold, or have a UA branded credit card. Please note that you will not get seat assignments with the Basic Economy Fare until check-in, so there is a chance you will not sit with traveling companions. You will also get in the dreaded last boarding group (group 5), unless you are a premier member, Star Alliance Gold, or have a UA branded credit card.

https://hub.united.com/united-basic-economy-gives-travelers-more-options-2093883887.html

I'm sure it won't be long before other legacy carriers adopt these same policies.

 

[sam_gordon]

How do they regulate who gets to use the overhead bin? Do "standard" customers get some kind of tag for their carryons?

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

How do they regulate who gets to use the overhead bin? Do "standard" customers get some kind of tag for their carryons?

These customers will board last. I'm guessing their boarding passes will indicate in some way that they are not allowed a piece of carry on luggage and this will be checked by the gate agent when their pass is scanned for boarding. Baggage could then be taken away and gate checked.

 

[seashoreCM]

I cannot object to a fee for carry on bags but I would like to assurance of getting carry on space even if I am running to make a connecting flight and even if I have to pay for the carry on space.

Right now the amount (supply) of carry on space is too small to meet the demand on many flights. In most cases it is not possible to increase the supply to meet the demand but a fee will tend to decrease the demand to meet the supply. This is actually better because getting carry on space is then more predictable.

 

[bellanotte10]

was flying home from to boston from Minneapolis St Paul. My flight alone was looking for 20-25 people to gate check their bags. the one at the gate next to me was 15 and the one to Orlando was looking for about 15 as well. I got specialty boarding because I was stuffing my duffle/tote bag under the seat in front of me. They gave priority to people who didn't have carryons/ weren't putting things in the overhead.

 

[DebbieB]

I didn't see anything posted here in regards to United starting to charge for carry on for basic economy fare and I thought some people might be interested.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/united-airlines-to-charge-less-restrict-bag-size

Unfortunately this seems to be the future trend and I don't doubt all airlines will do this eventually.

The big thing is no advance seat assignments. There was someone who posted on here a couple of months ago that she did not have seat assignments for her and her kids and was upset that she had to wait until check-in.

Reading the article, it's not that they are charging for carryons, it's that you don't have an option to use the overhead bin, you must check anything that doesn't fit under the seat (an pay the checked bag fee).

I wish the airlines would clamp down on allowing oversize carryons. I've been on flights were someone is trying to squeeze an obviously too large bag into the overhead. One flight a woman was taking stuff out of her bag because she had stuffed it too full and it wouldn't fit. A FA gave her a plastic bag. I would have forced her to check it, rather than blocking the aisle during boarding.

 

[loves to dive]

It would all just be so much easier if they would build in the cost of a checked bag into the fare, only allow one carry on and a small purse like bag and be done with it. Having said that, it would make life very difficult for us since as divers, we have to carry on my honey's underwater video equipment and we carry on our regulators since you really don't want that lost. Thankfully honey has his video equipment packing down to an art and can fit it all in a back pack and I can fit the regulators and masks in a small roll on. In a pinch I might be able to fit it all in an under the seat bag but no way that video equipment would go under the seat. He made the mistake of checking his lights in the dive gear bag once and when we got there they had been broken. When you are on a dive boat in the middle of Belize there isn't much chance of getting your lights fixed.

 

[Ciao Mickey]

I didn't see anything posted here in regards to United starting to charge for carry on for basic economy fare and I thought some people might be interested.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/united-airlines-to-charge-less-restrict-bag-size

Unfortunately this seems to be the future trend and I don't doubt all airlines will do this eventually.

What I wish airlines would do is have assigned cubbies for each seat whether or not they are paid for.

I fly Jetblue when we go to Florida and I always pay for checked bags (are we the only people who still check luggage?). So we only have my husband's computer bag and I will carry on a mostly empty Vera Bradley duffle bag (keep my earphones and magazines in it) to store up top and my handbag. I always put my VB bag on top of his.

The last time we flew these three morons came onto the plane and they each had an over-stuffed carry on, a huge backpack and a computer bag. They were sitting across the aisle from us. When they ran out of room above their seats they were trying to put their crap on top of our bags. They ignored the flight attendant's announcements that only one bag can be placed overhead and your other bag had to be placed under your seat. So they were taking up space that other people needed to store their carry on. The attendant finally announced that anyone taking up more than one space would have to have the extra pieces checked. Only then did people remove their extra junk from on top.

Then you have the people who have carryons that are so heavy that they can't lift them to put overhead without someone helping them.

And let's not forget the person who will stick his bag in the first available space up front when his seat is in the very back of the plane. Then when the people who have those seats come on board there is no room for their bags.

It's a mess and something should be done. It takes forever to get on and off a plane now.

 

[scard192]

it gets even worse in the winter when people are putting their coats in the overhead and leaving even less space for carry ones. I was on a BOS-ORD flight a few years ago and the FAs were making announcements "no coats in the overheads until everyone has a chance to store their carryons".

 

[sam_gordon]

It would all just be so much easier if they would build in the cost of a checked bag into the fare, only allow one carry on and a small purse like bag and be done with it.

I like the idea of not having to pay to check luggage if I'm going on a short trip. It would be better if airlines actually regulate the size of carryons (as PP said).

What I wish airlines would do is have assigned cubbies for each seat whether or not they are paid for.

But there's not enough overhead storage for every seat. If it's assigned, what if you're in seat 15F which doesn't have storage? Then what?

 

[anonymousegirl]

It would all just be so much easier if they would build in the cost of a checked bag into the fare, only allow one carry on and a small purse like bag and be done with it. Having said that, it would make life very difficult for us since as divers, we have to carry on my honey's underwater video equipment and we carry on our regulators since you really don't want that lost. Thankfully honey has his video equipment packing down to an art and can fit it all in a back pack and I can fit the regulators and masks in a small roll on. In a pinch I might be able to fit it all in an under the seat bag but no way that video equipment would go under the seat. He made the mistake of checking his lights in the dive gear bag once and when we got there they had been broken. When you are on a dive boat in the middle of Belize there isn't much chance of getting your lights fixed.

It would be easier, but I do carry-on because I don't like the idea of the airline losing or delaying my bag. I am a plus size woman and it is pretty much impossible to find plus size clothes easily on cruise ships, or in many foreign countries (like Japan and China). I do carry on to make sure I keep my stuff, not to save a buck.

 

[xlxo]

This is actually better because getting carry on space is then more predictable.

What do people thing about Allegiant's policy? You tell them what your luggage is so they can charge you at time of booking? It's double or triple charge at the airport.
https://www.allegiantair.com/popup/optional-services-fees#services-fees-table

 

[KrazeeK120]

What do people thing about Allegiant's policy? You tell them what your luggage is so they can charge you at time of booking? It's double or triple charge at the airport.
https://www.allegiantair.com/popup/optional-services-fees#services-fees-table

I've flown Allegiant a couple of times and I like that I only pay for what I use. DH and I typically check one bag for the 2 of us and each take a personal item that can be stored under the seat (no carry ons). I like the "unbundled" pricing model. If the price is "bundled," it's more expensive for people like us who don't take a lot of stuff.

 

[JohnneeO]

The big thing is no advance seat assignments. There was someone who posted on here a couple of months ago that she did not have seat assignments for her and her kids and was upset that she had to wait until check-in.

Reading the article, it's not that they are charging for carryons, it's that you don't have an option to use the overhead bin, you must check anything that doesn't fit under the seat (an pay the checked bag fee).

I wish the airlines would clamp down on allowing oversize carryons. I've been on flights were someone is trying to squeeze an obviously too large bag into the overhead. One flight a woman was taking stuff out of her bag because she had stuffed it too full and it wouldn't fit. A FA gave her a plastic bag. I would have forced her to check it, rather than blocking the aisle during boarding.

This is key. With the Basic Economy Fare, there is no way to purchase overhead bin space at any price.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I wanted to see just how much this new economy basic fare saved, so I went to the United website and pretended I was booking a trip for April. The two pricing options it gave me for Economy were economy-lowest and economy-flexible, nothing called "economy-basic". Since economy-flexible was much more expensive, I'm thinking that that one means "refundable"(?) Or has the price of a ticket for the type of fare I used to get gone up that much, and what I used to pay is now for this new basic fare?

 

[DebbieB]

I wanted to see just how much this new economy basic fare saved, so I went to the United website and pretended I was booking a trip for April. The two pricing options it gave me for Economy were economy-lowest and economy-flexible, nothing called "economy-basic". Since economy-flexible was much more expensive, I'm thinking that that one means "refundable"(?) Or has the price of a ticket for the type of fare I used to get gone up that much, and what I used to pay is now for this new basic fare?

If it's like Delta, this fare has limited availability. I rarely see it on Delta.