BY TOBIAS CARROLL / AUGUST 3, 2024 5:01 PM
You could be forgiven for believing that the last decade and change in air travel has also involved a wide-ranging experiment on what passengers are and are not willing to pay for. The most recent development in this is Southwest Airlines bringing its long-running policy of open seating to an end, but it’s far from the only manifestation of it — and now, it’s United’s turn to announce a new permutation in how it’s handling passenger travel.
As reported by Zach Griff at The Points Guy, United is modifying its Basic Economy fares, which historically have not allowed travelers with seats of that type to check in online. If you’re flying domestically, this fare type doesn’t include a carry-on bag — and presumably, that’s one of the reasons checking in has required a human being to verify that a Basic Economy passenger isn’t trying to take more on board than their fare class allocates.
There’s one tradeoff to that, as Griff noted. Basic Economy travelers will be required to submit a credit card number if they are checking in online, which will act as a kind of security deposit to make sure that they don’t bring a carry-on bag on board. (If they are, they’ll be charged $65.) United reportedly tested this program in Chicago, and it worked well enough there to merit its expansion as of August 6.
This program isn’t United’s only Chicago-based initiative in the spotlight right now. The airline also announced earlier this week that it would begin using sustainable aviation fuel at O’Hare International Airport — making it the first airline to do so.
“While the market for SAF is still in its infancy, there is a huge opportunity today for airlines and policymakers to work together to support its continued growth — SAF at O’Hare was made possible thanks to Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Legislature passing tax incentives,” said United’s president, Brett Hart, in a statement.
