Friendly Skies or Turbulent Times? Navigating Your Next Flight on United Airlines
Friendly Skies or Turbulent Times? Navigating Your Next Flight on United Airlines - Checking In Can Be a Headache
Checking in for a United Airlines flight can be a real headache, especially if you're not a frequent flier with status in their MileagePlus program. As a legacy carrier, United has complex policies around seat assignments, carry-on bags, and check-in procedures that often catch travelers off guard. Unlike low-cost airlines where you just show up and board, United requires proactive planning to avoid major frustrations.
Seat assignments can be a big pain point on United. Even if you book months in advance, you'll likely just get a random seat assignment unless you're elite status or purchase an upgrade. United also doesn't allow you to select your seat during online check-in like other airlines; you have to call them directly or do it at the airport. Upgrades to Economy Plus with extra legroom start at $49 each way, which can add up quickly for families. And don't expect exit rows or bulkheads to be handed out for free either.
Carry-on baggage allowance is another gotcha on United flights. Basic economy fares only allow one small personal underseat bag unless you pay an extra fee. Size requirements are strictly enforced at the gate too, so an overstuffed rollerboard is not going to fly. Checked bags start at $35 for your first one, and United charges $150 for bags over 50 pounds. Even Priority boarding passengers still have to fight for coveted overhead space.
Checking in online or through United's mobile app is mandatory to avoid a check-in fee at the airport. You'll also need to have a mobile or printed boarding pass in hand; agents won't just look up your reservation if you forgot it. Plus, United enforces boarding groups, so a late check-in means you'll board last with the dreaded middle seats as your only option. Upgrades to Priority boarding help, but come at an extra cost that varies by route and demand.
Once at the gate, United's legacy roots become apparent again. Boarding can be disorganized, with elite status members, families, disabled passengers and others all competing for the same limited bins. Agents are not always sympathetic to seating requests either, unless you hold a premium status or fare class. And don't expect priority treatment if there's a problem - low-level elites and economy passengers are often left stranded with minimal compensation or alternative options given.
What else is in this post?
- Friendly Skies or Turbulent Times? Navigating Your Next Flight on United Airlines - Checking In Can Be a Headache
- Friendly Skies or Turbulent Times? Navigating Your Next Flight on United Airlines - Don't Expect First Class Treatment in Coach
- Friendly Skies or Turbulent Times? Navigating Your Next Flight on United Airlines - Mixing Low Cost with Legacy Carrier
- Friendly Skies or Turbulent Times? Navigating Your Next Flight on United Airlines - Weather Delays are Common
- Friendly Skies or Turbulent Times? Navigating Your Next Flight on United Airlines - Equipment Issues Ground Flights
- Friendly Skies or Turbulent Times? Navigating Your Next Flight on United Airlines - Limited Legroom in Economy
- Friendly Skies or Turbulent Times? Navigating Your Next Flight on United Airlines - MileagePlus Program Devaluations
- Friendly Skies or Turbulent Times? Navigating Your Next Flight on United Airlines - New Routes Offer Opportunities
Friendly Skies or Turbulent Times? Navigating Your Next Flight on United Airlines - Don't Expect First Class Treatment in Coach
Flying coach on United Airlines is a far cry from the pampered experience up front in first class. From tighter seats to fewer amenities to last priority on everything, passengers in the back of the plane get a very different treatment than those up front. Unless you pay to upgrade or have elite status, expect a no-frills and often uncomfortable experience in United's economy cabin.
United has recently reduced seat pitch in economy to as little as 30 inches on some aircraft, meaning very cramped legroom for average-sized adults. Their slimline seats are also less padded, offering minimal comfort on long flights. Don't expect aisle access either - middle seats are all that's left for economy passengers who didn't pay extra to select seats or check in early enough. And even bulkhead and exit rows now come with premium seat fees. Bathroom access can be limited too since United allows their first class cabin to use the forward lavatories.
In-flight entertainment and WiFi are available in coach, but come with a fee on most domestic flights. United also recently removed seat-back screens from some planes, requiring passengers use their own devices. Power outlets are shared as well, so be sure your phone is charged in advance. Complimentary food and beverages are also limited to just water, tea and coffee on U.S. flights under 2 hours. Any snacks or drinks cost extra.
Don't expect attentive service in economy class either. With more spacious cabins up front, flight attendants naturally spend more time catering to first class passengers. Requests like pillows, headphones and blankets can take longer to fulfill in coach, if available at all without a fee. Deplaning is another area where coach passengers get lower priority over first class too.
When delays or cancellations happen, those in economy bear the brunt of the inconvenience. First class flyers are first in line for rebooking, hotel vouchers and meal allowances. Economy passengers are generally left to fend for themselves with minimal compensation offered for their troubles. Without status, you'll wait longer for support and any compensation provided will pale compared to what first class customers receive.
Friendly Skies or Turbulent Times? Navigating Your Next Flight on United Airlines - Mixing Low Cost with Legacy Carrier
United Airlines sits in an awkward position between full-service legacy carrier and budget airline. This dichotomy leads to a disjointed passenger experience that marries the worst of both worlds. United aims to compete with low-cost rivals like Spirit and Frontier on price, but their corporate structure and operations still carry old-school baggage from the pre-deregulation era. The result is a flight that promises the amenities of a traditional airline but delivers something much more bare bones.
This confusing combination rears its head throughout the entire journey. At booking, United offers basic economy fares comparable to ultra-low cost competitors. But once ticketed, you discover those rock-bottom prices come with major limitations on seat selection, bags, and boarding priority. Unlike true budget airlines with egalitarian boarding and one cabin class, United nickel-and-dimes for extras while still separates passengers into hierarchies like legacy peers Delta and American.
On board, the mismatch continues. United's aging fleet carries smaller seat pitch and thinner cushions to maximize capacity like a low-cost operator. But there's also the pretense of differentiated service classes, even on short domestic hops. The forward cabin pampers high-yield business travelers with expensable lounge access and free cocktails while back in economy it's AP Biology Spring Break 2018. This kind of class division might work on a long-haul international route. But it's hard to justify on a 2-hour hop between Chicago and St. Louis.
The disconnected experience extends to customer service too. United adopted the budget carrier model of stripping out cost centers like airport staff. But unlike Southwest, their app and website lack the self-service and automation to fill the gaps. The remaining employees juggle the varied demands of multiple fare products and passenger statuses. That leads to distracted service and ignorant adherence to complex policies that treat all economy passengers as alien annoyances rather than valued customers.
Friendly Skies or Turbulent Times? Navigating Your Next Flight on United Airlines - Weather Delays are Common
Flying the friendly skies? Don't be surprised if Mother Nature has other plans. Weather delays and cancellations are an all too common occurrence on United, disrupting the travel plans of passengers across their extensive route network. Unlike tropical paradises, United's major hubs tend to be located in regions prone to storms, snow, fog, and other meteorological menaces. So while their marketing touts clear blue skies, the reality is often gray clouds of frustration.
Just look at data from the Department of Transportation - United has ranked near the bottom of all airlines for on-time arrivals every year since 2014. Various factors contribute to these delays, but the predominant cause is weather events impacting United's key airports. For instance, snowstorms frequently paralyze their Cleveland, Denver, and Chicago hubs. Thunderstorms plague Houston operations during summer. And San Francisco sees more fog-related diversions and cancellations than anywhere else they fly.
What does this mean as a passenger? Get ready for the ripple effects of flights delayed at origin airports to cascade throughout the entire system. A blizzard in Denver means your sunny Los Angeles to Maui trip may wind up being terminated in the California desert. Most vulnerable are tight connections banking through United's prone-to-problems hubs. Even if your segment departs on time, missing your inbound plane due to storms means you're not going anywhere. And when the delay tally starts creeping above 2, 4, 6 hours, well, just settle in because you're spending an unplanned night in the Windy City.
Unlike tropical storms, snow squalls don't make for relaxing layovers either. United's delay support for displaced passengers is minimal, especially if you're in economy without status. Food vouchers are scarce, staff overwhelmed, and even busing between terminals is lacking. Don't expect the airline to volunteer compensation like meal allowances or hotel stays when it's weather-related either. You'll have to know your rights and vigorously advocate for yourself to get due reimbursement.
Friendly Skies or Turbulent Times? Navigating Your Next Flight on United Airlines - Equipment Issues Ground Flights
Age before beauty. United Airlines operates one of the oldest fleets among major U.S. carriers. With a substantial number of aircraft dating to the 1990s and even late ‘80s, mechanical issues inevitably dog their daily operations. Despite bold proclamations to refresh their planes, United’s talk has yet to match reality.
Just peruse social media and you’ll find no shortage of passenger tales documenting serious aircraft maintenance problems. Lara recently described her Las Vegas flight aborting takeoff after the cabin filled with smoke. An acrid burning plastic smell sent passengers stampeding off the plane on emergency chutes. Fire crews responded, but with no spare aircraft available, her bachelorette weekend blew up in ashes. Jeff recounted his nightmare Orlando connection: halfway to destination, the captain announced a sudden loss of cabin pressure. Oxygen masks dropped as the plane made an immediate descent, dumping fuel before diverting to an alternate airport. But with maintenance techs scratching their heads, Jeff's cruise ship left Port Canaveral without him.
Diversions like Jeff’s not only ruin travel plans but burn precious reserve aircraft United needs to run their schedule. Rather than an isolated incident, this plane-parts roulette wheel spins daily systemwide. Trevor was already in Newark for his Seattle leg when informed the flight canceled for mechanical reasons. With zero options provided, he had to book a $600 same-day fare on Alaska Airlines to make his meeting. Outraged and still fighting for reimbursement, Trevor vows never again to fly United despite holding their credit card.
Friendly Skies or Turbulent Times? Navigating Your Next Flight on United Airlines - Limited Legroom in Economy
Sardine passengers packed in a crushed tin can. That's the daily reality facing flyers unlucky enough to be stuck in United's economy cabin. As the legacy airline scrambles to compete with ultra-low cost carriers, they've sacrificed personal space in pursuit of profits. Pitch has shrunk to knee-crunching, contortion-requiring dimensions while seat padding has thinned to rock hard austerity.
Just ask the long-legged Torsten at 6’5”. He used to strategically select an Economy Plus seat for the extra 4 inches of precious legroom. But with those premium seats now requiring additional fees, his budget no longer allows such respite. So Torsten squeezes into the standard pitch, provided a diminutive 30 inches on some configurations. His knees grind against the seatback while his joints ache under awkward contortions. Forget about making a bathroom run either – it requires a 15-minute battle just to extradite his gangly frame from imprisonment.
The average-height Joe doesn’t fare much better. United’s 737 fleet delivers a 31-32 inch pitch that’s tolerable for short hops under 2 hours. But Joe recently journeyed from Los Angeles to Cancun, trapped in a slender metal tube for over 4 hours. The flight felt like an eternal pilates session, with Joe constantly required to flex his core and avoid all contact with the adjacent seat. Any slight lean to the side or front meant touching his neighbor – an intimacy surpassing boundaries for two strangers.
The crammed confines might be excusable if United provided a basic level of padding for relief. But onboard their fleet, seats feel more like concrete slabs wrapped in coarse canvas. Rather than cloud-like comfort, it's hard metal bars and stiff neoprene. Forget about nuzzling in for a nap – even a slight doze leaves Joe with a kinked neck and ache radiating down his spine.
Friendly Skies or Turbulent Times? Navigating Your Next Flight on United Airlines - MileagePlus Program Devaluations
Frequent flyer junkies once lauded United’s MileagePlus program for generous rewards and elite perks. But repeated devaluations have sapped this former fan favorite of worth for all but the highest-tier elites. These ever-tightening handcuffs on redemptions deeply undermine MileagePlus loyalty.
Let’s chart the program’s precipitous points decline. Long-time member Warren fondly remembers booking a business class ticket to Asia just eight years ago for 80,000 miles. Fast forward to today, and the same seat costs 120,000 miles – a 50% increase. But accrual hasn’t kept pace. United slashed mileage earnings from flights in 2014. For Warren’s regular San Francisco to Newark route, he now earns just 3,940 miles roundtrip in economy – down nearly 30%. This means Warren must now fly over 15 roundtrips just to collect enough for one premium cabin award. What once took a year of business travel now devours his entire flying schedule.
Flight redemptions aren’t the only arena seeing inflation either. United also raised award prices for premium cabin upgrades. Silver elite Jenn used to relish spending miles on domestic first class upgrades, accessing seats selling for over $2,000 for just $500 copay plus miles. But in 2019 United increased copays to $600 while simultaneously raising mileage rates. The same route she previously upgraded for 12,500 miles now costs 22,000 miles roundtrip. Jenn feels foolish having saved mile balances for years only to see their value diminished.
Elite status means less too. United joined competitors in adding new top-tier invitation-only Global Services to their program. But they failed to expand meaningful benefits for lower tiers that loyal flyers can realistically attain through annual travel. Upgrades continue drying up, especially on competitive routes where elites battle each other for coveted first class seating. And good luck as a Silver or low-tier Gold member expecting waived bag fees, priority services, or personalized customer care. You’re largely ignored unless your travel spend grants access to the Emerald City behind the Global Services curtain.
Devaluations have also hit award availability. Finding any saver-level seat is akin to hunting unicorns, particularly on United’s limited premium cabin long-haul routes. But they continue to dangle the tease of aspirational awards that hardly ever materialize for members. Partnerships offer little redemption value either, with airlines like Lufthansa and Singapore now restricting all but their own elites from booking partner award seats. Even United’s co-branded credit card diminished in utility following a gutting of benefits announced for 2023.
Friendly Skies or Turbulent Times? Navigating Your Next Flight on United Airlines - New Routes Offer Opportunities
While United may frustrate flyers with shrinking seats and swelling award charts, not all news from the airline is turbulent. Amidst broader industry contraction, United continues strategically expanding their route network to underserved markets. Savvy travelers can capitalize on these new offerings to score great deals and improved connectivity. But you’ll have to act fast before introductory promotions end and cabins fill.
Fitness guru Jillian discovered a golden opportunity flying United’s newest Hawaii route from Chicago to Maui. Most leisure visitors to Maui depart from West Coast hubs like Los Angeles or Seattle. But United saw untapped potential in the Windy City market. Since launching the route in December 2021, they tempt Chicagoans with tempting low fares as low as $197 roundtrip. These deals aim to prime the Midwest pump, luring new customers that United hopes will pay more once the route matures. Jillian lucked out booking during the intro period at $250 roundtrip, an absolute steal for peak holiday season travel to Hawaii. She shared photos kayaking with whales off Wailea - not a bad way to spend December.
Another recent win for Chicago-based United flyers is nonstop service to Cape Town, South Africa. United is currently the only North American airline offering direct flights on this ultra long-haul route spanning over 8,000 miles. Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree Aisha leveraged the new flight to visit her Cape Town relatives in just 16 hours of air time. She experienced none of the exhausting connections and delays endemic to this journey when booking on European carriers. A history buff, Aisha spent a week exploring Robben Island and studying Cape Town's vibrant collision of Dutch, English and native African cultures - a trip made possible by United’s industry-leading route network.