United Airlines Introduces Tiered Fare Categories, Providing More Options Across Cabin Products
- Joe Breitfeller
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
United Airlines has today announced plans to introduce new tiered fare categories, giving customers more options across every type of ticket. This includes base, standard and flexible fare options for Polaris and Premium Plus, joining the existing offer for Economy.
On Friday (April 3, 2026), United Airlines announced a new tiered fare structure that will make it easier for customers to find the flight experience that best matches their preferences. The carrier will offer three fare options in premium cabins for long-haul international, transcontinental U.S. and select Hawaii flights. This includes a new base option, in addition to standard and flexible, joining the carrier’s existing basic, standard and flexible fares in economy. The forward cabin will also be branded United Polaris on select transcontinental U.S. and select longer Hawaii flights, and customers who buy the standard or flexible fares in United Polaris on these flights will have access to the United Polaris lounge. Customers who purchase the base option for United Polaris will still have access to the United Club.
In Friday’s announcement, United Airlines’ Chief Commercial Officer, Andrew, Nocella, said,
“These new tiered options give customers more choice and make it easier to find a fare that includes the benefits they want most – whether that's a great value, added perks, or maximum flexibility.”
These changes are now reflected on redesigned shopping pages on the United website and mobile app, with the carrier planning on launching the new categories in select markets this month, and expanding to additional long-haul international, transcontinental U.S. and longer Hawaii flights later this year.
There are no changes for domestic and short-haul international flights and travel in United Economy on long-haul international flights, to what’s included in the basic, standard and flexible categories, although they will be displayed on United’s shopping pages in a new, clearer way. In premium cabins on long-haul international and transcontinental U.S. flights and flights between United’s hubs in Newark, Washington D.C. and Chicago and Hawaii, the base category offers customers the lowest price point, the standard category offers perks like free seat selection, additional checked bags and the ability to make changes, and tickets in the flexible category are fully refundable and offer all the benefits included in standard tickets.
At United Airlines (NASDAQ: UAL), ‘Good Leads the Way.’ As measured by available seat miles, United is the world’s largest airline, connecting passengers to more than 360 destinations, including 75 that no other U.S. airline serves. The carrier flies to over 225 U.S. cities, operating more than 4,000 domestic flights a day on average. With U.S. hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., United operates the most comprehensive global route network among North American carriers.
Source: United Airlines / PRNewswire
