United Airlines this fall plans to segment first- and business-class cabins into three tiered fare options, the carrier said on its website. The move would complete the carrier's segmentation of each cabin into "base," "standard" and "flexible" fare tiers.
United on its website said that "starting fall 2026, we're offering three fare options for United First and United Business." The carrier did not return requests for clarity on when the products would be available for booking.
The carrier earlier this year tiered its Polaris and Premium Plus cabins. Fare tiers for its economy cabin long have existed, and travel managers often block basic economy fares from managed programs.
United offers first class on flights within the U.S., to Alaska and Hawaii, and to U.S. territories. Its business class is offered on flights between the U.S. and each Canada, the Caribbean and Latin America.
The first-class base fare option includes seat selection for a fee, one checked bag and one carry-on bag. Flight changes and refunds are not allowed. Standard first-class includes seat selection, two checked bags, one carry-on bag and flight changes. It is nonrefundable. The flexible first-class fare option adds the eligibility for a refund.
Business-class base fares charge for seat selection, include one checked and one carry-on bag, and access to the United Club. Fares are nonrefundable and non-changeable. The business standard fare allows for seat selection, an additional checked bag and flight changes. It is nonrefundable. The business flexible fare adds the eligibility for a refund.
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