Last updated on June 30th, 2022 at 10:06 am
Traveling in a metal tube at an altitude of 30,000 feet is not cheap. Everyone on the planet has that sense, well, almost. However, what other option do you have?
Travel by train? Well, a train can’t go over the Pacific.
How about a cruise? Nah! Too slow for you.
Therefore, keeping that in mind, United has a very cost-effective fare class. However, problems always come in a group, and you have to cancel your trip. So, you’re left wondering about United Basic Economy Cancelation.
Thus, today we will discuss that very subject; in this blog, we’ll talk about:
- Firstly, what is the United Basic Economy Cancelation Policy?
- Secondly, a guide to fare cancelation.
- Thirdly, what limitations are there on the United Basic Economy fare?
- Lastly, contact information for United Airlines & some FAQs.
Table of Contents
United Basic Economy Cancelation Policy
- Firstly, passengers can upgrade their Basic Economy Fare to Standard Economy Fare.
- Secondly, under the United Basic Economy Cancelation policy, passengers can cancel their fares in exchange for flight credit.
However, United will charge a cancelation fee based on the passenger’s trip type.
| One-Way | Return | |
| Domestic Route | $49.50 | $99.00 |
| International Route | $99.50 | $199 |
- Regardless of the fare class, every passenger is eligible for same-day standby. In case a passenger misses a flight, United will put the passenger on an alternative flight as a standby.
- Furthermore, United has extended the credit validity of fares purchased between May 31st, 2019 & December 31st, 2021. In short, passengers of these fares can redeem them till December 31st, 2022.
- Also, there are two types of United Airlines Flight Credits:
- Future Flight Credits
- Electronic Travel Certificates
In short, passengers cannot transfer the ownership of the Future Flight Credits. However, this is possible in the case of Electronic Travel Certificates.
Useful links: United airlines multi-city booking
How to Cancel Basic Economy on United?
The process of canceling any United Airlines fare is the same. Therefore, for the United Basic Economy Cancelation process:
- Firstly, visit the official website for United Airlines.
- Secondly, select My Trips, fill in your booking information & click on Search.
- Confirmation Number
- Passenger’s Last Name
- Once the website retrieves your booking, click on Cancel Flight. Then, follow the instructions to complete the cancelation request.
In case of a United basic economy cancelation, if the passenger wants to check their Flight Credits for a specific flight.
- At first, visit the website & select the My Trips.
- Then, click on “Find Your Travel Credits?” next to the Search option
- Once the page redirects, scroll down & fill in your booking information & select Search.
United Basic Economy Restrictions
As you can imagine, being the least costly United Airlines fare class, the Basic Economy fares will have several limitations. Let’s discuss them:
- Firstly, passengers can only bring a single personal item on board with this fare. However, there are exceptions:
- Mobility Aids
- Assistive Devices
- Medical Devices
- Breast Pumps
- In addition to that, the dimensions of your items should be within specific standards,
| Length | Width | Height | |
| Imperial | 9 Inches | 10 Inches | 17 Inches |
| Metric | 22 cm | 25 cm | 43 cm |
- Secondly, only passengers who declare that they have to check in baggage can check-in online.
- Thirdly, passengers have one complimentary baggage allowance for international flights. However, this only applies to specific routes:
- Trans-Pacific Flights
- Trans-Atlantic Flights to & from the U.S, Mexico & Central America.
- Flights to & from – El Salvador, Panama, South America & Tahiti.
In the case of other routes, passengers cannot carry full-sized baggage unless they are:
- MileagePlus Premier Member
- MileagePlus Credit Card Holder
- Star Alliance™ Gold Member
Otherwise, they’ll have to pay the checked baggage fee & a $25 gate-handling fee.
- Fourthly, basic economy passengers do not get any complimentary seat selection service. That is to say, they can select a seat for a fee during booking. Otherwise, the airline will automatically assign them a seat.
- Also, they can only purchase the Economy Plus® at the check-in counter.
- In addition, basic economy fares are not eligible for group/family seating. Unless they book it in advance during the booking process, for a charge.
- Also, basic economy fares are not eligible for changes or refunds. However, for United basic economy cancelation within 24-hours of booking, passengers can apply for a full refund.
- Basic Economy passengers are the last boarding class of passengers. Unless they have membership of MileagePlus Premiere, MileagePlus Credit Card, or Star Alliance Gold.
- Also, basic economy passengers with MileagePlus membership are not eligible for certain perks, like:
- Economy Plus Complimentary Seating
- Paid Upgrades
- Complimentary Premier Upgrades
- PlusPoints Upgrades
Useful links: United airlines name change
Contact Information
| New Reservation | IVR: 1-800-864-8331 Press – 2 |
| Existing Reservation | IVR: 1-800-864-8331 Press – 3 |
| Baggage Assistance | Phone No: 1-800-335-2247 |
| MileagePlus Members Assistance | Phone No: 1-800-421-4655 |
FAQs
In short, United Basic Economy Cancelation is available to passengers, and passengers can also apply for Flight Credits. However, depending on the type of trip & the destination, United will apply specific charges.
To summarize, basic economy fares on United Airlines are not eligible for a refund under normal conditions. However, if a passenger cancels their flight within 24-hours of booking, they can get a complete refund.
In order to get a refund within the cooling-off period, just cancel the fare & United will automatically refund your fare.
In short, yes, there is a difference between the United Basic Economy & Economy (Standard) fare. The basic economy is less expensive than the standard economy. In addition to that, it lacks certain features, like – baggage allowance (unless on specific routes), etc.
It is always better to cancel a flight than to not show up. Because most airlines allow passengers some sort of compensation for canceling their flights, regardless of the fare class. For instance, travel credits, refunds, travel points, etc.
However, if a passenger doesn’t show up for a flight, they’ll be termed a no-show. And thus, will not receive any refund, travel funds/credits, etc. That is to say, they will lose the total amount of their fare.
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