United's Now Charging for Bags on Some Europe Flights — but the Worst Is Yet to Come
Feeling the pressure from low-cost carriers like Norwegian, Primera Air and WOW, United has quietly introduced a new stripped down fare option for flights to Europe that doesn't include a free checked bag and doesn't allow changes or upgrades. Unlike domestic basic economy, this new fare option comes with advance seat assignments, one standard carry-on bag plus one personal item and usual PQM/PQS/PQD earnings — in addition to the usual on board amenities like complimentary food and drinks.
This move didn't come as much of a surprise since United hinted the introduction of the basic economy fare class for long-haul flights at an investor's presentation earlier this year. American and Delta both started selling basic economy fares for travel to Europe in April.
Interestingly, United is not actually marketing the new fare as "basic economy" yet, but rather "Economy (first bag charge/no changes allowed)." A United spokesperson described the new fare as "a first step towards a trans-Atlantic Basic Economy product," so we can assume a fully stripped no-frills product is to come.
Several searches reveal that the price difference between the new fare and standard economy is typically $90, though it wouldn't be too surprising if the new fare is sometimes more expensive than regular coach.
You won't be able to tell if you're looking at this new fare on Google Flights, but like domestic basic economy fares, you'll come across several warnings during the booking process on United's site that you're purchasing the restrictive fare.
Although the checked baggage page on United's website hasn't been updated yet to reflect the new fees, you'll need to pay $60 in each direction to check a bag with the lower fare. Fortunately, there are some ways to get around this. The first checked bag fee for this fare is exempt for the following customers:
- MileagePlus Premier and Star Alliance Gold members
- Qualifying MileagePlus primary credit card members plus one companion on the same reservation
- Members of US military
United claims that the new fare option was "created for those who may be more price-sensitive," but as we've seen with domestic basic economy, it won't actually mean lower fares.
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The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
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- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
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- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month