Airlines are constantly trying to differentiate themselves from the competition. One way they try to stand out is by “branding” each service category with a name specific to the airline.
While most airlines are happy to call the lowest class of service “Basic Economy,” once you get to anything above that, airline marketing departments start getting creative. The differing names can make it difficult to compare tickets and understand exactly what you’re booking.
What makes it even more confusing is when the airline itself uses terms that don’t always mean the same thing on every flight.
United Airlines is one of the biggest offenders, as one of our readers discovered while searching for flights to Germany.
While these descriptions apply to most United flights, there can be exceptions depending on the aircraft and route.
United Airlines Seat Classes Explained
Here’s the chart from United that shows the different seat classes:
- United Polaris – United introduced Polaris business class, replacing its BusinessFirst and Global First services. According to United, “United Polaris® business class brings a new level of quality to premium cabin travel and provides the best sleep in the sky.”
- United First – This is United’s domestic first-class product on flights within the U.S. and Canada. Most flights feature a recliner-style first-class seat.
- United Business – Available on select international and premium domestic routes that don’t use Polaris branding. Depending on the aircraft and route, the seat may be similar to domestic First or a more premium lie-flat product.
- Premium Transcontinental Service – Available on select flights between New York/Newark and Los Angeles or San Francisco. These flights offer an upgraded premium cabin experience compared to standard domestic service.
- Premium Plus – United’s premium economy product. Seats offer additional recline, legroom and width compared to Economy. You’ll also get upgraded meal service, complimentary drinks and additional premium cabin perks.
- Economy Plus – Extra legroom seats in the front of the Economy cabin (Here’s our review of Economy Plus)
- Economy – Standard economy seating with fewer restrictions than Basic Economy, including a carry-on bag and more flexibility with seat selection.
- Basic Economy – Bare bones ticket. Don’t purchase unless you know all the restrictions this ticket has.
Why United’s Seat Names Confuse So Many Travelers
Part of the confusion comes from how United labels its products during the booking process.
For example, “Economy Plus” sounds like it should be the same thing as “Premium Plus.” But they’re actually completely different experiences.
Economy Plus is simply a standard economy seat with extra legroom.
Premium Plus, meanwhile, is United’s premium economy cabin and is much closer to domestic first class than regular economy seating.
United Seat Options from Newark to Frankfurt
Here are the pricing options when looking for a flight from Newark to Frankfurt on a 777-300ER:
There are three types of Economy tickets, ranging from the most restrictive Basic Economy fare to fully refundable tickets.
Premium Economy is actually United Premium Plus. While United groups it separately from standard Economy, it’s considered a premium economy product rather than business class.
You’ll also notice that the business-class cabin is labeled as United Polaris Business.
Premium Plus vs. Economy Plus: What’s the Difference?
So is Premium Plus just the extra-legroom seat you’d find on a domestic United flight?
Nope.
Premium Plus is an entirely different class of service that falls between Polaris business class and Economy. You’ll get a wider reclining seat with additional legroom and a footrest. The cabin also uses a less crowded seating configuration than standard Economy.
It’s very similar to what most international airlines call Premium Economy.
You’ll also receive upgraded meals, complimentary drinks and additional premium cabin benefits.
Economy Plus, on the other hand, is still a regular economy seat. It simply offers several extra inches of legroom.
U.S. airlines needed a different name because they had already been using terms like “premium seating” for extra-legroom economy seats.
So where’s the Economy Plus option when booking?
How to Tell What You’re Booking on United
You’ll need to select an Economy fare first. During the seat-selection process, United will then offer you the option to purchase Economy Plus seating.
Admittedly, United could do a much better job explaining its products during the booking process. Even the category headers don’t always match the names used for the actual seating products.
Quick Guide: United Airlines Long-Haul Seating
Here’s a quick cheat sheet for United’s long-haul international flights:
- United Polaris – Lie-flat business-class pod seat. Eligible long-haul international Polaris passengers also receive Polaris Lounge access.
- United Premium Plus – Large recliner-style seat with upgraded meal and drink service. Similar to or slightly better than many domestic first-class seats.
- United Economy Plus – Standard economy seat with extra legroom.
- United Economy – Standard economy class.
- United Basic Economy – Same seat as Economy, but with additional restrictions and less flexibility.
Hopefully, this makes United’s confusing seat names a little easier to understand the next time you’re searching for flights.
*** Thanks to Chris L. for being the catalyst for this post!
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