Key Points
- United will sell domestic United First and United Business seats in three tiers — Base, Standard, and Flexible — with a rollout in the coming weeks.
- Base strips out free seat selection, extra bags, and changes. Standard restores them. Flexible adds full refundability.
- Delta, JetBlue, Etihad, Air France, KLM, and Qatar Airways already sell segmented premium fares, making unbundled business class an industry norm.
Summary
United Airlines will break its domestic business class fares into three tiers, according to an internal announcement seen by Skift. The carrier plans to sell United First and United Business seats as Base, Standard, and Flexible fares. Base is the cheapest option. Standard adds free seat selection, extra checked bags, and change privileges. Flexible carries the same benefits and is fully refundable. The rollout is expected in the coming weeks, on domestic and select short-haul flights. United already segmented fares on Polaris and Premium Plus earlier this year. Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Nocella said on an earnings call last year that segmentation has proven its value to the airline and its customers, because “not everybody wants the full experience.” Delta has done the same on Delta One suites, and JetBlue rebuilt its fare structure across all cabins ahead of launching domestic first class. Etihad, Air France, KLM, and Qatar Airways sell segmented premium fares internationally.
