These days, no matter which airline you fly, traveling around the U.S. can seem remarkably similar — and not all that glamorous. Yet, there are a few key differences among each of the major U.S. airlines, and understanding them can turn a mediocre experience into a positive one. United Air Lines, the world’s largest airline by fleet size, is based in Chicago, Illinois, with other key hubs in Denver, Houston, Newark, and San Francisco. If you’re planning an upcoming trip on United, be sure to check out these five helpful tips before you book.
Understand United’s Basic Economy Restrictions
Basic economy is United’s lowest-priced fare category. While this can be an appealing option for budget-conscious travelers who are certain of their travel plans and will be traveling light, United’s basic economy comes with a few important restrictions to be aware of.
The most important restriction is that, on most flights within North America, basic economy travelers may not travel with a full-size carry-on bag. Basic economy passengers can only bring aboard a small personal item that can fit underneath the seat in front of them. Those flying to Canada, South America, Asia, and Europe in basic economy, on the other hand, can bring a free carry-on.
Notably, most of United’s competitors — like American and Delta — do include a carry-on bag with their basic economy fares to all destinations. But on United, you’ll have to pony up for the checked bag fee if you want to bring anything larger than a purse, backpack, or laptop bag. (Just be sure to pay for your bag online before check-in opens, as you’ll pay less versus checking at the airport.)
With basic economy on United, changes and cancellations are not allowed (outside of the 24-hour flexible cancellation window) and seats will be assigned automatically at check-in. If you’re traveling with friends or family, be prepared to sit separately, unless you choose to pay extra for seat assignments ahead of time. Basic economy also boards last and is not eligible for any upgrades on United.
Look Out for Upgrade Offers
If price is less of a factor, you have a few ways to upgrade your flight on United. Within the economy cabin, United features an extra-legroom section called Economy Plus. This can be purchased a la carte or as part of a bundle option during booking. (It’s also available for free if you hold Premier status, depending on availability and your elite status tier.)
United also offers an Economy Plus subscription. You can choose an extra-legroom seat on any flight you take during the year for a flat fee, starting at $599 (as of early 2025). If you plan to travel frequently and value extra legroom, you can potentially rack up significant savings by opting for an Economy Plus subscription instead.
As for premium cabins, United First and United Business are offered domestically and on short-haul international flights to destinations such as Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. You’ll get a wider seat with more legroom at the front of the cabin, along with complimentary meals and alcoholic drinks (depending on flight length) and personalized service.
Meanwhile, Polaris is United’s business-class cabin on long-haul widebody planes. Included with your ticket are spacious lie-flat seating with custom Saks Fifth Avenue bedding, access to the Polaris lounges with a la carte dining, priority airport services, and multicourse meals on board. If Polaris isn’t in your budget, United also offers a premium economy cabin called United Premium Plus — these seats are wider than those in economy and include extra legroom and upgraded meals and amenities.
Before your trip, keep a close eye on your itinerary to see if there are any last-minute upgrade offers, either in cash or United MileagePlus miles. These can often be much cheaper than booking a premium cabin outright. Those with Premier status can also use PlusPoints for upgrades.
Always Have the United App Handy
When flying on United, the airline’s mobile app is an essential companion. It features an intuitive, easy-to-use interface and a number of incredibly useful features — such as real-time trip updates on your home screen that include information about when your flight is boarding and even when your inbound plane has landed and is taxiing to the gate.
Passengers with checked luggage can also take advantage of United’s bag drop shortcut — skip the line for bags at the airport by paying on the app ahead of time. Once your bags are checked, United’s app offers live baggage tracking, so you’ll travel with peace of mind knowing your bag has made it on your flight with you.
Other useful United app features include interactive terminal maps, the option to preorder meals and drinks on your flight, and the ability to set seat preferences — if a better seat opens up, you’ll automatically be reassigned. You can also easily purchase upgrades to a premium cabin within the app.
And if you need to change to an earlier or later flight — or if your flight is delayed or canceled — it’s easy to find new flight options and rebook yourself with a few simple taps in the app.
Speaking of delayed flights, United tends to be far more transparent than other carriers about the reasons for flight disruptions. You’ll typically see a detailed message on the app (and website) about the cause of the delay, whether it’s air traffic control congestion due to weather, a mechanical issue, or the airline holding the flight so other passengers can make a tight connection. (United employs a helpful technology tool called ConnectionSaver that alerts the airline of possible misconnects for a flight, so it can hold the aircraft for those passengers.)
Know That Not All United Aircraft Are Equal
In 2021, United announced its new initiative called United NEXT, with the goal of upgrading its passenger experience fleetwide. That includes the introduction of hundreds of new, fuel-efficient planes, plus upgrading older planes with state-of-the-art cabins with personal entertainment, attractive mood lighting, and larger overhead bins for carry-on bags.
But while those upgrades are in progress, your in-flight experience on United will vary. On some aircraft, you can stream free entertainment on your personal device. On others — including all long-haul widebody flights — you’ll have a seat-back entertainment screen with hundreds of movies and TV shows, along with thoughtful features such as Bluetooth connectivity.
To find out what in-flight experience awaits, head to United’s app or the flight status page on its website. Both provide detailed information about the amenities available on your individual aircraft. And when booking, pay close attention to the aircraft type and consult the fleet section of United’s website, which has in-depth descriptions of each plane’s features.
In 2024, United also announced it would be upgrading its entire fleet with high-speed Starlink in-flight Wi-Fi, which will be available free to MileagePlus members. In the meantime, MileagePlus members get a discounted rate for Wi-Fi on select flights.
Take Advantage of the Excursionist Perk
If you fly United frequently, signing up for MileagePlus, the airline’s free loyalty program, is a no-brainer. You’ll earn miles for every flight based on the cost of your ticket, and you can redeem those miles for award flights, seat upgrades, checked bag fees, Wi-Fi, in-flight dining, and more.
United claims to have the most award destinations of any U.S. frequent flyer program, the most award seats available in economy class, and the most ways to earn and use those miles — all of which can make United miles a particularly valuable points currency to collect and redeem. MileagePlus members can also use their miles toward any seat on a flight — if one is available for sale, you can book it with miles.
One of the lesser-known benefits of United’s program is called the Excursionist Perk. While it may be a bit complicated to understand as a beginner, it can potentially unlock significant value when redeeming miles for award flights.
Essentially, the Excursionist Perk allows you to tag on additional segments to your trip for no additional cost in miles, provided you meet certain criteria. First, your trip must start and end in the same region (as defined by the MileagePlus program). To use the Excursionist Perk, you must add a flight segment in a different region than the one you start and end your trip in.
Say, for example, you plan to visit multiple countries in Europe. You’d be able to book a flight from Chicago to London using your miles and add a free leg to Paris for no additional cost. You’d just need to pay for your flight back home to the U.S. from Paris. This way, you’ll be able to save thousands of miles on the cost of your ticket.
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