seat assignments united airlines

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United Airlines Seat Selection: What You Need to Know

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United Airlines seat selection

United seat selection fees, united credit cards with travel benefits, united airlines seats for elite members, united airlines seat map, how to select a seat on united airlines, final thoughts on selecting united airlines seats.

When you take to the skies one of the most important things when it comes to preparing for your flight is knowing where you'll be seated on the airplane. Like most other airlines, United gives its guests assigned seating on its flights. The majority of customers can select from a variety of seats for free, but there are also options for preferred seating and even upgrades for those who are willing to pay. Here's a look at United Airlines seat selection and United Airlines seat assignment policies.

» Learn more: The best airline credit cards right now

Most United Airlines flights will have at least two cabin classes: economy and first class. Depending on where you’re going, you may also find business class and premium economy seating.

No matter your fare class, you will be able to choose a seat from the available selection, though how much you’ll pay and the associated fees will differ according to your ticket and various other factors.

How much is seat selection on United Airlines? Charges vary, but generally speaking, the longer and more in-demand your flight, the more expensive it will be for your seat selection.

Basic economy (most restrictive)

Basic economy tickets don't provide complimentary seat selection in any cabin. In exchange for cheaper tickets, you can either opt to pay for a seat assignment or wait until check-in and be randomly assigned a seat.

Families and groups who book basic economy tickets won't be seated together; though again, they can pay to ensure that they’re near each other.

Standard economy

You may be wondering: “How do I choose my seat on United Airlines?” Happily, those booking a regular economy class ticket will have the ability to book a seat for free, although the available options may not be desirable. In this case, customers can also choose to pay for better seats while maintaining their economy class ticket.

If you’re traveling with young children you may want to know: “Does United seat families together?” Yes, it does. If you’re booking an economy ticket or above, United’s system will automatically attempt to seat children under 15 on the same reservation together with their parents.

» Learn more: Is United Airlines good?

Preferred seating

Preferred seating features seats with better locations than standard United economy flights. The seats are the same, but they tend to be closer to the front of the cabin. Costs for preferred seating vary depending on the flight, but these are the cheapest paid seat upgrades you can find on United flights.

Economy Plus

Economy Plus seats are within the standard economy cabin, though they’re located just behind first class seating. They provide more legroom than regular economy seats and also offer free alcoholic beverages on premium transcontinental routes. These seats are more expensive than preferred seats.

Premium Plus

Premium Plus is United’s premium economy offering and is available on select flights. This is better than economy class but not as good as United’s international business class, Premium Plus seats are all free for those who book this cabin.

United first and business class

Like Premium Plus, those who book either first or business class can choose any seat within the cabin for free.

» Learn more: How you’ll earn United Premier Qualifying Points on flights

Regardless of where you sit, a United Airlines credit card can provide benefits that make your travel day a little less stressful, from priority boarding and free checked bags to airport lounge access. Among your options:

on Chase's website

$0 intro for the first year, then $95 .

• 2 miles per $1 on United purchases.

• 2 miles per $1 at restaurants and hotels (when booked directly with hotel).

• 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases.

• 3 miles per $1 on United purchases.

• 2 miles per $1 at restaurants, select streaming services and all other travel.

• 4 miles per $1 on United purchases.

• 2 miles per $1 at restaurants and all other travel purchases.

• First checked bag free for you and one companion on your reservation.

• 2 United Club one-time passes each year.

• Credit of up to $100 every four years for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or NEXUS .

• Priority boarding .

• No foreign transaction fees.

• First and second checked bag free for you and one companion on your reservation.

• $125 United purchase credit per year (good on airfare).

• Two 5,000-mile award flight credits per anniversary year.

• Access to United Club airport lounges.

• Credit of up to $100 every four years for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or NEXUS.

Limited-time offer: Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

Limited-time offer: Earn 70,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

Limited-time offer: Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Loyal members of United’s MileagePlus program receive additional benefits when booking flights, including better seats.

Silver elite members and above have complimentary access to preferred seating at booking.

Gold elite members and above can pick an Economy Plus seat for free when booking their ticket. Silver members, meanwhile, can choose from available Economy Plus seats upon check-in.

United elite members are also entitled to complimentary upgrades on select flights starting as early as 96 hours before departure.

Wondering what the seats on your flight will look like? United provides a seat map that you can find when booking your flight. Before selecting a flight, you can view the seat map by selecting “Seats” on the search result page.

This will open a live preview of the seats on your aircraft that shows you the layout of the seats as well as which seats are available to select. You’ll also see the seat map during booking, when you’re prompted to select your seats.

After booking, it’s possible to change your seats by going to "My Trips" and selecting "Manage Trips." Once on your specific flight page, you’ll be able to view your seat and select a new one if you desire.

» Learn more: Delta vs. United vs. American

During booking

You’ll automatically be prompted to select a seat when booking your ticket online. Once you’ve selected your flight, you’ll fill out your passenger information and any frequent flyer programs.

Depending on your flight, United may also offer the ability to purchase discounted bundles during checkout. These may save you money over choosing extras individually, though you’ll want to take a look at the costs.

After deciding whether to add a bundle, you’ll be taken to the seat map to choose your seat. A legend on the right will show you which seats are included and the costs of any upgrades.

Once you’ve selected a seat, complete the check-out process and pay for your ticket.

After booking

If you’ve already booked a ticket and would like to select a seat or change your existing seat, you can do so from the “Manage My Trips” tab under the “My Trips” option.

Then, you’ll select “Manage Trip” from your available trips. Here you’ll find your trip information, including the option to change your seat.

» Learn more: The pros and cons of MileagePlus

United Airlines’ seating policies can be confusing, especially when you’re booking an economy class ticket. The short of it is this: If you book at least a standard economy ticket, you’ll be able to choose a seat for free during the booking process as long as you're traveling on a United-operated flight (versus a flight operated by a partner). You can also pay to have better seats, though some United elite members will receive access to these better seats for free. Basic economy customers, meanwhile, will always need to pay to select a seat.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024 :

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

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Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

1x-2x Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining, hotel stays and United® purchases. 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases

60,000 Limited-time offer: Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

1x-2x Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on United® purchases, dining, at gas stations, office supply stores and on local transit and commuting. Earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases.

75000 Earn 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

1x-3x 3 miles per $1 spent on United® purchases. 2 miles per $1 spent on dining, select streaming services & all other travel. 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases. Plus, each year, receive up to a $125 United® purchase credit and up to 10,000 miles in award flight credits (terms apply) and earn up to 6,000 Premier qualifying points.

70,000 Limited-time offer: Earn 70,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

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United Airlines Seat Maps, Seating Charts, and Seat Reviews

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• IATA:    UA      ICAO:    UAL

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• Boeing 757-300 (753)

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In-flight amenities

Access a complimentary onboard collection of movies and TV shows on your personal device with Personal device entertainment.

More information

110v power ports are available to all seats in First Class. In Economy Plus and Economy, 110v power ports available between seats. USB power is available to all seats on this aircraft.

On all 757s United Airlines offers internet service for domestic US flights. Connectivity is available for laptops or mobile devices. The service is available once the aircraft reaches 10,000 feet cruising altitude.

Non-alcoholic beverages are complimentary. Alcoholic beverages can be purchased for $6 in economy and are free of charge in first class. Premium alcohol is also available on select flights for $9.

• Flights under 3.5 hours: A cocktail snack is offered in economy; light fare is offered in first class.
• Flights 3.5- 5 hours: Economy passengers can purchase a la carte snacks for $3 or a SnackBox for $6-7 on flights departing before 8pm. First class passengers are offered meal service.
• Flights over 5 hours: Economy passengers can purchase a la carte snacks for $3 or a SnackBox or a 'fresh food menu' items (sandwiches and salads) for $9 on flights departing before 8pm. First Class passengers are offered meal service.

More Information

United designates this aircraft type as 753. This Version features 24 First Class recliner seats, 54 Economy Plus seats, and 156 Economy seats. 

United reserves Economy rows located before the emergency exit for Elite level frequent flyers. These seats will not appear available for any other passengers at time of booking or at online check-in.

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United Airlines Review – Seats, Amenities, Customer Service, Baggage Fees, & More

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Table of Contents

United ticketing options, united frequent flyer program, united airlines baggage fees & other fees/add-ons, how to avoid paying excess fees & travel expenses, united seat specs & inflight amenities, united customer satisfaction, charity partnership, final thoughts.

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There’s no doubt you know United Airlines (and may have even flown with them before), but are you aware of their different fare types, the ins and outs of their baggage allowances, and all of their extra fees/add-ons? What about their seat specs and their consumer satisfaction ratings?

This helpful guide covers all you need to know about this large U.S. carrier so you hopefully won’t be caught unaware on your next flight.

In this post you’ll find a general company overview, ticketing/fare options, extra fees/add-ons (including baggage allowances ), cabin class amenities, seat specs, and more.

Airline: United Airlines

Alliance:  Star Alliance

Category:  Legacy domestic and international airline

Frequent Flyer Program: MileagePlus

Tag Line:  “Fly the Friendly Skies”

About/Mission Statement: “We are committed to providing a level of service to our customers that makes us a leader in the airline industry. We understand that to do this we need to have a product we are proud of and employees who like coming to work every day….” (source)

Daily Flights:  4,700

Main Hub:  Chicago-O’Hare International Airport ( ORD )

Destinations:  356 (including 125 international)

United’s fare types are pretty standard for a large U.S. carrier. But with stiff competition from lots of low-cost airlines, United recently introduced a Basic Economy fare — which pretty much just gets you a seat on the plane.

Handy for those traveling light, this reduced and restricted fare does not include any standard carry-on or checked luggage.

And for anyone part of United’s frequent flyer program (covered later on in this article), you won’t be eligible for premier qualifying miles that go toward your elite status when flying in this class.

Below are the additional differences in fare types and cabin classes, with inflight amenities covered later on in this article:

Basic Economy (most restrictive fare): 

• Pre-assigned seat before boarding
• Family or group seating not possible
• First checked bag costs an additional $120 (round-trip)
• Upgrades not available
• Changes or refunds not permitted

Economy (standard): 

• Seat selection at time of booking (if available)
• Customize your booking with other options

Economy (flexible):

• Refundable ticket (subject to cancellation fees)

Premium Plus:

• Spacious, larger seating with extra legroom
• Complimentary food and beverage
• Enhanced dining with complimentary food and beverage

The availability of certain cabin classes is dependent on the route and plane type. We’ve also covered how you can upgrade to business or first class on United Airlines .

Economy Plus

If you’re looking for a little extra legroom, you can upgrade your booking to Economy Plus. This will also seat you closer to the front of the aircraft so you can disembark quicker.

You can upgrade as a one-off, or subscribe to yearly upgrades when booking a regular economy ticket (where Economy Plus is available).

MileagePlus is United’s frequent flyer loyalty program where you can earn miles to redeem against reward flights and work your way up membership tiers to gain elite benefits, such as priority check-in and additional luggage.

These reward miles can also be used against flights with other Star Alliance members. You can earn miles through flying, shopping, dining out, and spending on certain credit cards.

Hot Tip: For more information, check out our article on United’s MileagePlus frequent flyer program .

Baggage Fees

United Airlines Carry-On Allowance:

1 personal item: FREE 1 standard carry-on bag: FREE (including Basic Economy Transatlantic flights but excluding all other routes for basic economy)

United  Airlines Checked Allowance:

Max weight: 50lb (23kg) for all economy and premium plus fares and 70lbs (32kg) for business and first class fares.

Max size: 62 inches (158cm) linear

United recommends that passengers check their official baggage fee calculator tool to view baggage costs associated with their specific fare type.

We ran some basic route searches, and the fees appeared as the following (do a check on your specific fare before booking to confirm):

Domestic U.S. & Canada

• Economy (Basic, plus and standard): 1st bag $30, 2nd bag $40, 3rd+ bag $150
• Business and first: 1st and 2nd bags free, 3rd+ bag $150

U.S. to/from Mexico

• Economy (Basic, plus and standard): 1st bag $30, 2nd bag $55, 3rd+ bag $180
• Business and first: 1st and 2nd bags free, 3rd+ bag $180

U.S. to/from Europe

• Economy: 1st bag $0 (£60 for Basic Economy), 2nd bag $100, 3rd+ bag $200
• Premium Plus: 1st and 2nd bags free, 3rd+ bag $200
• Business: 1st and 2nd bags free, 3rd+ bag $200
• First: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd bags free; 4th+ bag $200

Additional and Excess Baggage Fees:

Oversized Fee: $200 per bag (up to 115in/292cm)

Overweight Fee (route dependent):

• Bags 51-70lb: $100-$200 per bag
• Bags 71-100lb: $200-$400 per bag

MileagePlus Status weight allowance:

• Silver, Gold, Platinum, 1K: 70lb
• Star Alliance Gold (traveling in first, business or  United Polaris Business ): 70lb

Hot Tip: See our post on United Airlines baggage policy  which details specific baggage allowances for all types of cabin class, status and personnel such as the military. 

United’s Other Fees & Add-Ons

Service Fees

All reservations on United.com can be made without incurring a service fee. For other methods of booking made within the U.S. or Canada, the service fees are as follows:

By Phone: $25

City Ticket Office:  $30

At the Airport: $50

Reservations Made Outside of the U.S.: Fees vary according to country

Cancellation and Change Fees: (Cash Tickets)

• Domestic Cancellation Fee: $200
• International Cancellation Fee: Up to $400
• Waived for Gold, Platinum, and 1k members
• Cancellation : If you cancel a non-refundable ticket, no refund will be issued – but you can use the cost of the flight against a new ticket within 12 months.
• If your departure or arrival time changes by more than 30 minutes (due to a schedule change), you can change your flight at no extra cost or request a refund.

We’ve also gone into detail on United’s  award flight change & cancellation fees .

Seat Selection Fees

There is no charge to select a seat with United (where available), but you can opt for “Preferred seating” (closer to the front of the economy section) from $9 each way.

Economy Plus Upgrade: $16-$169 each way

Unaccompanied Minor Fee: $150 each way

Pet in Cabin Fee: $125 each way

Fare Holding Fees

If you’re not ready to book at the time of searching, then you can pay to reserve your fare using “Farelock.”

The fee varies by destination, but ranges from $5-$20 with the ability to hold a fare for either 3 or 7 days.

United Airlines Annual Subscription Fees

Economy Plus: From $499

Benefit from additional leg room and being closer to the front of the plane for quicker exiting when you reach your destination.

United Bundle Options

Bundles are offered during the reservation process combining different options, such as an Economy Plus upgrade and United Club trip pass. Prices vary per route, but United states that savings can be had by buying these bundles.

Wi-Fi: From $49

United Club Membership: From $550

Get access to all of the  United Club locations and select partner lounges.

Onboard Refreshments

For flights over 3 hours (within the U.S. and to/from Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America) customers can order from the “Bistro on Board” menu serving items such as a chorizo breakfast sandwich, pepperoni deep dish pizza, or a mezze sampler with prices ranging from $6.99-$9.99 . Menu choices depend on the flight route.

On flights over 1.5 hours (within North America, including select Latin American destinations and the Caribbean, in addition to Singapore , Australia , and New Zealand ) customers can order from the “Snack Shop” serving sweet and savory nibbles and snack boxes. Prices range from $3.99-$9.59 .

Beer and wine are $8, while premium spirits range from $8-$9 and specialty cocktails will run you $10.

Onboard entertainment

Available on select Boeing 737 and 757-300 aircraft, customers can purchase access to DIRECTV with more than 100 TV channels plus movies.

This is complimentary for United first passengers, and $5.99 for United economy passengers on flights less than 2 hours ($7.99 for flights more than 2 hours).

Many travel rewards cards come with an annual airline credit and can be used to offset fees such as baggage fees, such as The Platinum Card ® from American Express.

Cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve ®  come with an annual $300 travel credit that can be used to offset almost  any  travel expense.

The cards below allow you to redeem Capital One miles for 1 cent each as a statement credit for previous travel purchases (within 90 days):

The Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the premium Capital One travel rewards card on the block.

Points and miles fans will be surprised to see that the Capital One Venture X card packs quite the punch when it comes to bookings made through Capital One, all while offering the lowest annual fee among premium credit cards.

Depending on your travel goals and preferences, the Capital One Venture X card could very well end up being your go-to card in your wallet.

• 10x miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel
• 5x miles per $1 on flights purchased through Capital One Travel
• 2x miles per $1 on all other purchases
• $395 annual fee ( rates & fees )
• Does not offer bonus categories for flights or hotel purchases made directly with the airline or hotel group, the preferred booking method for those looking to earn elite status
• Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
• Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
• Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
• Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
• Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
• Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
• Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
• Elevate every hotel stay from the Premier or Lifestyle Collections with a suite of cardholder benefits, like an experience credit, room upgrades, and more
• Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck ®
• APR: 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
• Foreign Transaction Fees:  None

Capital One Miles

Get 2x miles plus some of the most flexible redemptions offered by a travel credit card!

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card   is one of the most popular rewards cards on the market. It’s perfect for anyone in search of a great welcome offer, high rewards rates, and flexible redemption options.

Frequent travelers with excellent credit may benefit from this credit card that offers a lot of bells and whistles. And it offers easy-to-understand rewards earning and redemption.

• 5x miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
• $95 annual fee ( rates & fees )
• Limited elite benefits
• Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening – that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
• Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
• Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you’ll get Capital One’s best prices on thousands of trip options
• Miles won’t expire for the life of the account and there’s no limit to how many you can earn
• Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
• Enrich every hotel stay from the Lifestyle Collection with a suite of cardholder benefits, like a $50 experience credit, room upgrades, and more
• Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs

The card offers unlimited miles at 1.25x per $1 and no annual fee. When you consider the flexible rewards, frequent travelers come out on top.

Interested in a travel rewards credit card without one of those pesky annual fees? Then say hello to the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card.

In addition to no annual fee, the Capital One VentureOne card offers no foreign transaction fees.

But is this card worth its salt, or is it merely a shell of the more popular Capital One Venture card?

• No annual fee ( rates & fees )
• No foreign transaction fees ( rates & fees )
• Ability to use transfer partners
• Weak earn rate at 1.25x miles per $1 spent on all purchases
• No luxury travel or elite benefits
• $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
• Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel
• Earn unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase, every day
• Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
• Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
• Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.99% - 29.99% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies
• APR: 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable),0% intro on purchases for 15 months

In addition, if you have the United Explorer℠ Card  you can get 1 free checked bag for you and a companion on your itinerary.

United Airlines has 14 different types of aircraft with varying cabin classes and seat specs.

United Express operates a further 5 aircraft through its partner airlines. You can view the aircraft and seat specs here .

United Inflight Amenities

United Business & First

• Premium leather seat with extra space and comfort, featuring a headrest that adjusts 6 ways
• Storage space for personal items
• Universal AC power plug
• Mobile device holder
• United Wi-Fi (fee applies)
• Complimentary inflight beverages including beer, wine, spirits, and illy coffee
• DIRECTV with more than 100 TV channels plus movies
• Dining options in partnership with The Trotter Project

Polaris Business & First

• Saks Fifth Avenue bedding
• Sleep-inspired amenities (cotton pajamas on flights over 10 hours)
• Soho House’s Cowshed Spa skincare items
• Lie-flat beds
• 16″ HD monitor

Premium Plus

• Larger seat with more legroom, leg and footrests
• Complimentary beverages
• 13″ monitor
• Power and USB sockets
• Noise-reducing headphones

• Extra legroom
• Situated nearer the front of the plane for quicker disembarkation
• Eligible to earn Premier qualifying dollars
• All standard economy benefits

Economy (Basic and Standard)

• On domestic flights and to/from the Caribbean and Latin America, customers receive complimentary soft drinks (including illy coffee) and can purchase snacks/meals and alcohol.
• On international flights, customers receive complimentary food and beverages including house beer and wine
• Entertainment varies by aircraft (details can be found on the Inflight Amenities tab on United’s Flight Status page )

Hot Tip: Check out our post on United Airlines’ boarding policy so you’ll know what to expect from the boarding process as almost all airlines have a different procedure!

Customer satisfaction is a real mixed bag with United Airlines. Their social media channels and Tripadvisor reviews seem to attract many compliments from loyal customers, which is unusual as these outlets are often utilized to rant and rave about poor service!

Additionally, their PR team is pretty genius, sponsoring a number of great causes and shouting about their good deeds on social media — so even if the service was only mediocre for a customer, their philanthropic ways may improve consumer brand impression.

Lost baggage is a real gripe for United customers, being one of the most prominent issues on review sites. Also, inconsistencies of aircraft age can lead to disappointment in inflight amenities.

One customer complaint we found said they had experienced a seat-back entertainment system on once international flight and not on another. That’s going to disappoint any traveler.

United prides itself on their personal device entertainment, but this does rely on the customer having a smartphone/tablet at their disposal.

Most Common Complaints

United Airlines had 1,169 complaints lodged against them from January-September 2018 according to the  September 2018 Air Travel Consumer Report . The chart below represents the complaints by category.

• Flight problems (cancellation, delay, or misconnection): 292
• Baggage: 185
• Customer service: 174
• Reservation, ticketing, boarding: 110
• Disability : 86
• Refunds: 45
• Oversales: 34
• Discrimination: 8
• Advertising: 5

Consumer Rankings, Ratings, Etc. 

There are a number of different review websites out there when it comes to airline ratings. Here are a few of the most popular so you can see the general consumer opinion for United Airlines.

Skytrax Ranking: 3 Star Airline (out of 5)

Skytrax Customer Rating:  3/10 (average from 2,594 reviews)

TripAdvisor Airline Review Rating:  3/5 (average from 36,791 reviews)

Kayak Customer Rating: 7/10 (average from 61,414 reviews)

AirHelp.com Overall Rating: 7.59/10 (departure/arrival performance, service, and satisfaction of claims processing)

Safety and Performance

Airlineratings.com Safety Rating :  7/7 (takes into consideration whether the airline has an IATA Operational Safety Audit Certification, government and crash records, plus information from the World’s Aviation Governing Body).

United Airlines supports numerous charities across their main hub locations and across the globe. It strives to be a more sustainable airline supporting environmental charities and operations such as Clean the World and Conservation International.

United also supports many youth projects, including Youth Guidance with the goal of inspiring future leaders.

Overall, customer satisfaction seems to be somewhere in the middle for United — and as with other legacy U.S. carriers, there will always be a place for the airline with reasonable fares and route availability.

United will never have the sass and style of Virgin Atlantic or the service and luxury of the Middle Eastern airlines, but it serves its purpose and does have a loyal customer base (although this may be dwindling slightly, with many referencing the “good old days” when United was great).

Their current focus seems to be on revamping their premium cabins, with their Polaris offering in business and first — but we’re hoping they don’t neglect economy for too much longer either.

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card ® from American Express, click here .

Frequently Asked Questions

What alliance is united apart of.

United is apart of Star Alliance partnership.

What is the United carry-on baggage allowance?

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United Basic Economy Passengers Can Now Pay To Assign Seats In Advance

• Ben Schlappig
• Published: February 2, 2018
• Updated: February 5, 2024

It’s quite interesting to see how United has modified their basic economy concept since introducing it early last year. United first introduced basic economy on select flights last February, and then extended it to almost all domestic flights last May.

United (in particular president Scott Kirby) was quite smug about the introduction of basic economy. Kirby thought for sure it would be successful if implemented across their network, and expected that better segmenting the marketing would generate a billion dollars in incremental revenue annually. When they presented the numbers, they did so based on the percentage of passengers they thought would opt for basic economy, and didn’t account for the customers they’d lose because of the introduction of basic economy.

The fact that an airline thinks they can introduce this without losing a significant percentage of their passengers shows how the US airline industry is desperately in need of more competition, because they basically feel like they have captive customers. The good news is that basic economy hasn’t worked out the way United had hoped, and they’ve backtracked on it quite a bit. Originally almost all domestic fares (even expensive last minute tickets) had basic economy, while now they’ve eliminated basic economy from many of their more expensive domestic fares.

Well, United has now decided that they want to segment their passenger base even further. One of the main restrictions on basic economy tickets has been that you can’t select a seat assignment in advance. As of February 1, 2018, United is letting basic economy passengers pay to assign their seats up until 24 hours before departure (at that point seat assignments become free).

As you’ll see during the booking process, the page asking you to choose whether you want a basic economy fare or not now says “choose a complimentary seat, or change or upgrade seats,” rather than “choose, change or upgrade seats.”

The next page shows “advance seat assignments may be available for purchase during booking and up until check-in opens.”

So, how much is United charging for seat assignments on basic economy fares? It will vary by flight, but for a Tampa to Chicago flight for later in the year, they’re charging $5 to assign a middle seat, $10 to assign a window seat, and $15 to assign an aisle seat.

For what it’s worth, the fare difference between economy and basic economy is only about $20 one-way

I guess there are two ways to view this change on United’s part:

• Basic economy isn’t panning out as United had hoped, and they’re acting desperately to try and generate more revenue, by now letting you buy one of the main perks that that’s excluded on these fares
• United is being smart in their effort to infinitely segment the market; after all, there are some people who may not value a carry-on, but who may still be willing to pay more to assign a seat; however, at some point this all seems a bit silly

What do you make of United now selling seat assignments on basic economy fares?

• Most Recent
• Oldest First
• Most Helpful

It's terrible. Have to pay extra for seats just to sit next to my family. I have flying anxiety and they choose to seperate people. Smh! Paying for a checked bag, no carry-on, it's sad.

Just flew to kona. Three legs of our journey from Toronto. Stupidly paid to have aisle seats beside each other. Got to the check in...no record of us having paid, even though it had a receipt on my phone to provide proof. We lost our economy plus seats, but got to sit together. I spoke to the gentleman who was sitting in the seat I selected and paid for....guess what...he had paid for...

Just flew to kona. Three legs of our journey from Toronto. Stupidly paid to have aisle seats beside each other. Got to the check in...no record of us having paid, even though it had a receipt on my phone to provide proof. We lost our economy plus seats, but got to sit together. I spoke to the gentleman who was sitting in the seat I selected and paid for....guess what...he had paid for same seat! Is that not THEFT AND DECEIT? The customer service people were well versed in platitudes and passing the buck WORST AIRLINE EVER. CREW MEMBER TOLD BE STOP WHINING AND SUCK IT UP WHAT.......????

United Airlines practices kangaroo seating of late. Should you buy two seats at the same time (Economy or Basic Economy - makes no difference), they will separate you as a matter of principle. I was on a four-seats-abreast plane with a family member - we were assigned 'A' and 'C', while another couple was assigned 'B' and 'D'. Funny the length an airline will go to try to spite you! Of course, we traded. Of...

United Airlines practices kangaroo seating of late. Should you buy two seats at the same time (Economy or Basic Economy - makes no difference), they will separate you as a matter of principle. I was on a four-seats-abreast plane with a family member - we were assigned 'A' and 'C', while another couple was assigned 'B' and 'D'. Funny the length an airline will go to try to spite you! Of course, we traded. Of course, when traveling with a bratty kid, it can be better to count on sitting in a different part of the plane from him. Let him be someone else's problem for a few hours while you nap.

Some people pay for more leg room because they are tall.

We found ourselves on UNITED last week only because our usual JETBLUE non-stop was sold out and UNITED offered a convenient travel time. We booked our BOS-IAD-AUS round trip through EXPEDIA which immediately books you into UNITED's "basic economy" fare. I later received a tersely worded email from UNITED explaining what "basic economy" means and what NOT to expect at this fare. I upgraded to "preferred seating" and for an additional $243.00 later, my wife...

We found ourselves on UNITED last week only because our usual JETBLUE non-stop was sold out and UNITED offered a convenient travel time. We booked our BOS-IAD-AUS round trip through EXPEDIA which immediately books you into UNITED's "basic economy" fare. I later received a tersely worded email from UNITED explaining what "basic economy" means and what NOT to expect at this fare. I upgraded to "preferred seating" and for an additional $243.00 later, my wife and myself were allowed to sit together. In ALL FOUR flight segments the gate agents felt the need to continually remind all "basic economy" passengers in a condescending tone that you board LAST, sit where you are assigned, have NO ACCESS to the overhead storage bins and you will need to stuff any personal belongings under the seat ahead. The tone in ALL FOUR flight segments was basically you are steerage and clearly not as welcome as boarding groups one through four. If UNITED is going to offer a "basic economy" product and try to compete with the LCC's , they really need to reconsider their marketing and correspondence and scripting at the gate agent level. If I want to fly a LCC, I can fly SOUTHWEST for less, have service with a smile and no $30.00 checked bag fee. I can fly SPIRIT for MUCH LESS if I want the condescension I received with UNITED. Having flown AMERICAN and DELTA basic economy over the last few years, the treatment you receive from them was seamless and unnoticeable, but UNITED feels the need to shove the basic economy rules and hyperbole down your throat from the moment you book your flight. I had not flown on UNITED for about 10 years and was skittish on using them again after the Dr. David Dao/United Express Flight 3411 incident and countless poor reviews online regarding their customer service. It seems not much has changed and UNITED's contempt towards it's customers is still there. This may have been my last trip on UNITED. So much for "The Friendly Skies"....

I'm flying South West Airlines next time. UA is way out of line when they charge $45 dollars for an isle seat.

I have two United credit cards. I bought a ticket to/from NYC. I still haven't a clue if I can check a bag for free or board with a carry-on for free. The flight is direct so I will just wait and see on the seat situation. United needs to better integrate the credit card benefits.

This makes me so mad!It just boils down to same fate for no consideration for the passengers.I will avoid United for the concept of same fate less service.Southwest or Alaska would be a good way to handle their portion of the passengers ,which should get smaller with this scheme!!!

They will keep doing this until some pervert molests a kid because the greedy airline put the parents 20 rows away from thier kids. Guess I will have to find another airline the actually cares about the welfare and safety of my family.

Airlines like United make so much money from first class, that they have a vested interest in making non first class passengers as uncomfortable as possible. This helps ensure people In First Class don't look back at steerage and say "that's not so bad!" This is been true for a long time, and they're expanding that model into economy itself. Making some economy seats smaller, and more uncomfortable. This is one more reason I refuse...

Airlines like United make so much money from first class, that they have a vested interest in making non first class passengers as uncomfortable as possible. This helps ensure people In First Class don't look back at steerage and say "that's not so bad!" This is been true for a long time, and they're expanding that model into economy itself. Making some economy seats smaller, and more uncomfortable. This is one more reason I refuse to fly in a domestic carrier other than Southwest. Their open seating model makes these sorts of games and possible.

“I guess the should just change their name to Frontier ”

@Joe no they shouldn’t. The expectations are different here. With ULCCs like Frontier, the baseline is that you’re buying a ticket with zero perks/amenities. People except nothing when they fly, so buying seats, bags, etc. are seen as an upgrade that is only available through incremental purchases. With legacy carriers people generally expect more. The idea that you’re choosing to downgrade from ‘the standard’...

@Joe no they shouldn’t. The expectations are different here. With ULCCs like Frontier, the baseline is that you’re buying a ticket with zero perks/amenities. People except nothing when they fly, so buying seats, bags, etc. are seen as an upgrade that is only available through incremental purchases. With legacy carriers people generally expect more. The idea that you’re choosing to downgrade from ‘the standard’ for a legacy carrier and then are going to start throwing money to move yourself back to the baseline is totally different. I don’t think people are dumb enough to choose the lowest legacy BE price and then pay-up to move back to a standard ticket they probs should’ve bought in the first place.

I think the bottom line is there are of dumb people, rich people, and rich dumb people. UA is just trying to relieve them of that extra cash.

I've never ever understood what would possess someone to pay $70-200 for legroom alone but I guess some people have money to burn!

I guess the should just change their name to Frontier ;-)

@Tom Schneider UA does not permit online check-in for Basic Economy tickets. You are required to see an agent so they can verify you don't have a carry-on.

Whatever,? ! As an ex UAX employee who worked in sales, sound like they are grasping for straws to see whatever will work. So sick of them and their logic

So will this allow Basic Economy fare purchasers the opportunity to buy an Economy Plus Seating Assignment for a fee as well?

I think there were a lot of people who bought BE on Expedia and Co websites without realizing it so this is their way of trying to goose some extra revenue from them.

Wow what an amazing customer friendly enhancement! So glad that United let's me unbundle all of these services and pick and choose exactly what I want!!

@Mike Perhaps I am missing something from your comment but you can receive your boarding pass via the United App. Hell, I just used the boarding pass on the app to pass through security at IAH a few minutes ago.

$5 middle seats make sense if you have a companion with an aisle/window on a separate, non-Basic ticket. And IMO that situation is rare enough that it's rather an insult to the customer to offer for sale the inflight equivalent of shit on a stick.

$20 is a typical increment for one leg between basic and regular economy, so if you pay $15 to get an aisle seat you've now reduced your savings and given up flexibility, a carry-on and mileage earning for a whopping $5!

I need a cheap last minute round trip to EWR Spirit and united were both a 6 am departure and cost $45 a week and a half before departure (one way) I chose spirit because I can get my boarding pass on the mobile app on my way to the airport I don’t want to be “policed” at the kiosk with my personal item in order to print my boarding pass. And have to arrive 10 minutes earlier Bad move United !!!!

Haven't flown on United since the merger with Continental, so no big deal to me. I expect that at some point United with be like Allegiant, Frontier, etc charging for everything little thing they can get away with.

@chesterwilson - The irony of paying for a seat assignment pushing you to fly an airline where a seat assignment isn't even possible is not lost.

I would pay $20 for a seat in first class. Not a penny just for a regular economy seat

I would pay $5 just for "not the back row" so I guess I would pay $5 for a middle seat just to avoid that, but in reality I would pay $10 or $15 for the aisle or window toward the middle of the plane.

That I will continue to fly Southwest Airlines whenever possible.

Your feedback is important in helping us keep our community safe.

The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered.

It's terrible. Have to pay extra for seats just to sit next to my family. I have flying anxiety and they choose to seperate people. Smh! Paying for a checked bag, no carry-on, it's sad.

United Airlines practices kangaroo seating of late. Should you buy two seats at the same time (Economy or Basic Economy - makes no difference), they will separate you as a matter of principle. I was on a four-seats-abreast plane with a family member - we were assigned 'A' and 'C', while another couple was assigned 'B' and 'D'. Funny the length an airline will go to try to spite you! Of course, we traded. Of course, when traveling with a bratty kid, it can be better to count on sitting in a different part of the plane from him. Let him be someone else's problem for a few hours while you nap.

• March 18, 2024

• June 23, 2023

• April 25, 2023

Cool new United feature notifies you if your preferred seat becomes available

United Airlines' mobile app has long been one of the best in the industry, and it's getting even more useful with this new feature.

Beginning Friday, March 22, travelers will be able to sign up for seat notifications and get automatically moved if their preferred seat is not available at the time of booking, as confirmed by a United spokesperson.

When booking (or managing) a flight on the mobile app, you'll be able to request your desired seat while browsing the seat map.

Want more airline-specific news? Sign up for TPG's free biweekly Aviation newsletter .

For instance, if you're booking just a few days before departure and only middle seats are left, you can set an alert to be automatically moved to a window or aisle seat if one becomes available.

The app will also allow you to opt into notifications for exit rows and bulkhead (first-row) seats. If your desired seat choice becomes available, the app will automatically reassign your seat and notify you that it processed the seat change.

For example, if you set a seat preference alert three days before your flight, United will start monitoring for your preference, and if it becomes available up to 12 hours before departure and you're next in line, the airline will automatically move you to a new seat and send you a notification about it.

United didn't share how frequently it will check the seat map on your behalf.

Related: Touring United's renovated Chicago headquarters in the Willis Tower

This new app feature will begin rolling out on Friday to a small group of customers, followed in the weeks ahead by a broader rollout to additional flyers. United didn't share which travelers would be in the first tranche of eligible users, but we'll update this story with some firsthand experiences when we get our hands on the feature.

For United travelers, this is a nifty new (and free) service that should incentivize more downloads and engagement with the app. United says that 3 million flyers use its app on a daily basis.

It's also the latest feature that United has debuted to simplify the digital travel experience, building on initiatives such as Live Activities on the latest iPhone devices and a new all-in-one rebooking center for delays and cancellations .

As part of the news, United has become the first and only U.S. airline to offer a seat preference feature.

For those booking tickets on other airlines, there are several third-party tools that can monitor your seat assignment and notify you if better seats become available. This includes ExpertFlyer , which allows you to set seat alerts on most major airlines and sends email and text notifications when seats open up. (ExpertFlyer is owned by TPG's parent company, Red Ventures.)

Related reading:

• Your ultimate guide to the United MileagePlus program
• Best United Airlines credit cards
• United Premier status: What it is and how to earn it
• Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
• The best credit cards to reach elite status
• How to survive basic economy on United Airlines

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United Airlines Lufthansa Seat Assignments

We have booked tickets thru United for San Francisco to Frankfurt to Tallinn. The Frankfurt to Tallinn flight is on Lufthansa. We were able to secure seat assignments on the United portion of the flight but not the Lufthansa part.

The Lufthansa website indicates that the seat assignments are not made until 23 hours prior to check-in.

That is disturbing. Has anyone Experienced this? Does anyone have any idea how to get seat assignments in this case?

We've had this twice with Lufthansa code share flights. That's just how it works.

That's exactly how it worked for me on my last UA/Lufthansa codeshare flight. I avoided it for my upcoming trip by purchasing a flight marketed and operated by one airline, United. Admittedly, this limited my options.

One piece of good news that I read is that Lufthansa will reserve a block of seats for the codeshare flyers to book when they open the 23 hour checkin window. I was ready when that window opened. For some reason I recall that it may have been earlier than 23 hours, but that could have been due to my not knowing which timezone to use. My foggy recollection is that it wasn't my departure timezone.

The Frankfurt to Tallinn leg is a short flight so very few people will pay for an advance seat assignment. You will get a seat assignment when you check in.

Yes, you pay for seat assignments if you want them in advance.

As Laura from Virginia noted, this will be a short flight ... I would just take whatever seats are assigned. Flying Transatlantic (Munich - SFO) on Lufthansa a few years ago we called up in Munich within the 23-hour window and reserved OK seats for free.

It makes a difference if you buy air tickets from a third-party, like a travel site. If you bought from United, there us a chance you can get the LUFTHANSA confirmation code for the trip, and get an online seat assignment. Wait three days after the purchase.

Yup, that is how it works. That is an inter-European flight and not your hop across the pond so they won't assign seats until much closer to the flight. You have your long haul assignments so you should be good to go.

As Tim suggests, do get the Lufthansa confirmation number. I always like to have that for any code share flight anyway. If you have a special need, perhaps Lufthansa can help...try calling them. Or use your Lufthansa confirmation number to log in and see if you can buy an advance seat assignment on your own.

Yes just a few days ago, I booked an international flight through United.....using United on the initial flight and Swiss Air on the return flight. I received both United and Swiss Air confirmation numbers. I was able to secure seats on the United flight segment and not the Swiss Air segment. Even more troubling was not being able to pull up my flight reservation under Swiss Air. I called United and representative was great. They confirmed the reservation was properly scheduled with Swiss Air and fixed the problem so I could pull up the flight information under both United and Swiss Air. They waited on the phone until I confirmed access on the Swiss Air login. They then transferred my call to Swiss Air representatives. I was concerned that I inadvertently selected a restricted fare with no seat assignment and extra bag fees. Swiss Air confirmed this was not a restricted fare, As others have posted, free seat assignments are selected during flight check about 24 hours before the flight and I was given the option to purchase advanced seat assignments starting at $29 for each seat. If, sitting together on Lufthansa is important, suggest going on-line to their website or calling them and pre-pay additional fees to secure the seat assignments.

Have you tried calling Lufthansa to ask for a seat assignment? I have booked flights with United and Lufthansa and they gave me the seat assignment in advance. You will need to give them your confirmation number.

I have flown several times on Air Canada/Lufthansa combined routes. In each case I obtained Lufthansa seat assignments from them well in advance using the data contained in my Air Canada reservations. And yes, I had to pay in advance, separately, to Lufthansa. Maybe it's a nuisance, but it works. Anyhow these days I pay in advance for seat assignments on most airlines so it's nothing new.

This is what is happening now. In the past two years, I've not been able to book a seat on a codeshare flight to Europe no matter if I was paying in advance or not. It's some new rule that seems to have taken effect in the past few years. I did once keep phoning Lufthansa till I got someone to agree to give me an aisle seat, which I believe I did pay for. You just have to have your computer all lined up, ready to press the right button at the exact second, 24 hrs pre flight these days.

You might try calling Lufthansa to see what they say. I have at times gotten seat assigned this way. However since it is a short flight u prob will not have a prob. Hopefully u have no preferences

This topic has been automatically closed due to a period of inactivity.

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Southwest Airlines plans to start assigning seats, breaking with a 50-year tradition

Southwest Airlines plans to drop the open-boarding system it has used for more than 50 years and will start assigning passengers to seats, just like all the other big airlines. (AP Video: Kendria LaFleur)

A passenger checks in for her Southwest Airlines flight at Midway International Airport in Chicago, Thursday, July 25, 2024. Southwest Airlines plans to drop the open-boarding system it has used for more than 50 years and will start assigning passengers to seats, just like all the other big airlines. (AP Photo/Teresa Crawford)

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A passenger checks in for his Southwest Airlines flight at Midway International Airport in Chicago, Thursday, July 25, 2024. Southwest Airlines plans to drop the open-boarding system it has used for more than 50 years and will start assigning passengers to seats, just like all the other big airlines. (AP Photo/Teresa Crawford)

Southwest passengers and airliners line up and move at Love Field in Dallas, Thursday, July 25, 2024. Southwest Airlines said Thursday that it plans to drop the open-boarding system it has used for more than 50 years and will start assigning passengers to seats, just like all the other big airlines. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Travelers board a Southwest Airlines plane to depart from Love Field in Dallas, Thursday, July 25, 2024. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

FILE - Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 lands at Manchester Boston Regional Airport, June 2, 2023, in Manchester, N.H. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

Southwest Airlines planes can be seen on the terminal at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in Baltimore, Friday, July 19, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough, File)

FILE - American Airlines passenger jets prepare for departure, July 21, 2021, near a terminal at Boston Logan International Airport in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)

FILE - A woman waits for her flight as an American Airlines jet passes by at Sky Harbor airport on March 4, 2023, in Phoenix. American reports earnings on Thursday, July 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

DALLAS (AP) — Goodbye, cattle call.

Southwest Airlines said Thursday that it plans to drop the open-boarding system it has used for more than 50 years and will start assigning passengers to seats, just like all the other big airlines.

The airline said it has been studying seating options , running tests and surveying customers. Southwest discovered that preferences have changed over the years and the vast majority of travelers now want to know where they are sitting before they get to the airport.

Southwest’s unusual boarding process started as a fast way to load passengers and limit the time that planes and crews spend sitting idly on the ground, not making money . It helped the airline operate more efficiently and even squeeze a few more flights into the daily schedule.

It was one reason that Southwest alone among U.S. airlines remained profitable every year until the coronavirus pandemic.

Here’s how it works: Instead of being assigned a seat when they buy a ticket, Southwest customers check in exactly 24 hours before departure to secure their spots in boarding lines. In the beginning, the first 30 to check in were put in the coveted “A” boarding group, guaranteeing them a window or aisle seat. Dawdlers landed in “B,” which was still OK, or “C,” which would often result in a middle seat.

The system became less democratic over time as Southwest let people pay extra to guarantee a spot near the front of the line. Despite that, many Southwest loyalists still love open seating. The airline thinks they will adapt.

“I know there are going to be customers who say, ‘I want to stay with open seating.’ It’s a minority,” Southwest CEO Robert Jordan told CNBC, “but we had the same thing when we switched from plastic boarding passes. We had the same thing when we took peanuts out of the cabin. I’m convinced we can win them over.”

The airline said surveys showed that 80% of its customers — and 86% of “potential” customers — want an assigned seat. Jordan said open seating was the top reason that travelers cited for choosing another airline over Southwest.

Some Southwest passengers reacted with sadness and disappointment to news that open seating is going away.

“Hearing that announcement today, I was like, no, this is my favorite part of Southwest,” said Lindsey Magness, who works in college athletics in Oklahoma City.

Magness said that with open seating, she can try for a window seat or, depending on her mood, an aisle. And assigned seating doesn’t always work either. Magness said American Airlines seated her away from her husband on their honeymoon trip earlier this summer.

Brandon Bowser of Odenton, Maryland, said he flies on different airlines based on which one has the best deal, but he has found Southwest’s open boarding to be faster and less complicated than other airlines.

“The convenience that comes with being able to pick your own seat is what sets Southwest apart and makes them sort of a preferred airline,” he said. “A lot of my friends swear by Southwest, that’s all they will fly, and they are completely irate about this decision.”

At Chicago Midway airport, Kimberly King was happy to learn of the change. She was at a check-in kiosk with her four children for a flight home to California.

”I used to fly United a lot and I liked the assigned seats, especially with kids, kind of expecting and knowing where we were going to be,” King said. “The only reason really why I continue to fly Southwest is for the free bags.”

Southwest still lets passengers check two bags for free. It’s been a centerpiece of the airline’s advertising campaigns for years. CEO Jordan said Southwest has no plans to end bags-fly-free “at this point.”

There are drawbacks to Southwest boarding. It’s hard to get a good spot in line without paying an extra fee. Southwest executives said 60% of passengers check in the first 30 seconds. Those who miss the rush fear there won’t be room in the overhead bins for their carry-on bag. Late boarders can struggle to see an open seat anywhere, and start roaming up and down the aisle — Southwest calls them “spinners.”

There are a number of tricks that passengers use to game the system.

Some take advantage of early boarding for people who need extra time. Others ignore the age limit (6 or under) for children in families that are allowed to board right after the “A” group. Once on the plane, some passengers hold choice seats for mates who are far behind them in line.

Photos appear occasionally on social media of an unusually large number of people in wheelchairs at Southwest gates. They get to board early.

“It’s certainly one of the things that anger people even if it doesn’t have a material impact on them,” said Brett Snyder, a travel agent and author of the Cranky Flier blog. “In some cases those are people who have absolutely legitimate reasons. In other cases, it’s the ‘Jetway Jesus’ phenomenon.”

That’s a reference to recoveries so miraculous that the disability causing the person to need a wheelchair to reach the gate is cured during flight, and they walk off the plane like everybody else.

Snyder doubts that fans of open seating will abandon Southwest.

“Those people will still fly Southwest,” he said. “They may grumble about it, but there’s no one else they can go to that has open seating.”

In addition to the boarding change, Southwest also plans to convert about one-third of the seats on its planes to premium seating with more legroom, matching a practice that is standard among other large U.S. carriers.

The airline’s newest schedule also includes a few redeye flights — a first for Southwest.

The overnight flights will start in mid-February on nonstop routes including Las Vegas to Baltimore and Orlando; Los Angeles to Baltimore and Nashville; and Phoenix to Baltimore. More routes will be added over time, the airline said.

The changes come as Southwest is under pressure from Elliott Investment Management . The hedge fund argues that the airline lags rivals in financial performance and has failed to change with the times. It wants to replace Jordan and Chairman Gary Kelly.

Southwest also faces increased scrutiny from the Federal Aviation Administration after a series of worrisome flights, including one that dove within 400 feet of the ocean off Hawaii, two that flew at extremely low altitudes while still miles from landing at airports in Oklahoma and Florida, and another that was discovered to have rudder-area damage after an unusual “Dutch roll” wiggle during a flight.

Southwest announced the seating move and other changes on the same day that both it and American Airlines reported a steep drop in second-quarter profit despite higher revenue. Airlines are struggling with higher costs and reduced pricing power, especially on flights within the United States, as the industry adds flights faster than the growth in travel demand.

Southwest, based in Dallas, said its second-quarter profit fell 46% from a year earlier, to $367 million, as higher costs for labor, fuel and other expenses outstripped an increase in revenue. The results met Wall Street expectations.

American Airlines also reported a 46% drop in profit, to $717 million. CEO Robert Isom said the airline was held back by a sales strategy that it is now rolling back and by an oversupply of domestic flights.

American said its earnings per share in the third quarter will be break-even, well below Wall Street’s expectation of 48 cents per share. American also cut its forecast of full-year earnings to between 70 cents and $1.30 per share, down from a previous prediction of $2.25 to $3.25 per share.

Shares of the leading U.S. airlines rose Thursday. Southwest Airlines Co. gained 5.5% and American Airlines Group Inc., based in Fort Worth, Texas, rose 4%. Delta, United, Alaska and JetBlue also gained.

Associated Press writer Wyatte Grantham-Philips in New York and video journalist Teresa Crawford in Chicago contributed to this report.

This story has been updated to correct that King was interviewed at Chicago Midway airport, not O’Hare.

Southwest ditching its unassigned seat policy shows how budget airlines' business models are getting upended

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Happy Friday! Be careful what you wish for, Chipotle fans. The chain might turn to robot workers to address the complaints about its portion sizes. But good luck making those last-second tweaks to your order .

In today's big story, Southwest ditching its unassigned seat policy is a sign of the end times for budget airlines as we know it.

What's on deck:

• Markets: Goldman Sachs has a new logo … sort of.
• Tech: OpenAI basically just declared war on Google .
• Business: Pop stars got millions in pandemic aid that raised red flags for their accountants .

But first, that's going to cost extra.

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The big story

Seating-as-a-service.

You are no longer free to move about the cabin.

Southwest Airlines is ending its open seating policy , opting for assigned and premium seating options. It's a substantial change for the budget airline that has let passengers pick their seats after boarding since its founding more than 50 years ago .

But tradition takes a backseat when the bottom line is suffering. Despite a record $7.4 billion in revenue for the second quarter, the airline's quarterly profit ($367 million) was almost cut in half compared to the same period last year.

Meanwhile, activist investor Elliott Management's $1.9 billion stake in Southwest has it calling for big changes . And the airline manufacturer Southwest relies on is going through its own crisis . So yes, something had to give.

A timeline on when the change will occur wasn't announced — more details are coming in September — but the impact is already estimated to be big. Between paid seat assignments and premium seating, Southwest could add as much as $3 billion in new revenue, according to one analyst.

Southwest isn't alone in its struggles. Prior to the announcement, the S&P 500 Passenger Airlines index was down almost 9%. The issue? Despite an influx of demand, there are simply too many cheap, economy-class seats on the market , writes Business Insider's Benjamin Zhang.

The real pain of the current travel landscape is being felt by budget airlines.

High labor and fuel costs are difficult to navigate for all airlines, but it's especially tricky for ones trying to do it at a much lower cost than their rivals.

That's why Southwest's decision to end its open seating policy could be a sign of the end of budget airlines as we know it, writes BI's Taylor Rains and Pete Syme. The shift shows how low-budget airlines are rethinking their business models as they face an uphill battle not following their high-priced peers' footsteps.

Southwest CEO Bob Jordan has been adamant these are changes customers want. But there is an undeniable financial factor to the move.

Similar changes from Southwest could ultimately upend the way a good chunk of the country travels. Southwest, American, United, and Delta make up the country's Big 4 airlines. But only Southwest markets itself as a budget airline.

In the meantime, you might need to start paying for that window or aisle seat on your next Southwest flight.

Or don't. After all, the middle seat really isn't that bad .

3 things in markets

• New logo, who dis? Goldman Sachs is launching a new logo that's a partial callback to a design the bank used for decades before largely retiring it in 2020. But some insiders questioned if the time and money spent on the overhaul was worth it.
• The US economy had a huge second quarter. US real GDP growth was 2.8% at an annualized rate , well above the 2.0% forecast. It also doubled its growth from the first quarter (1.4%). But the "perfect report for the Fed," as it was described by one expert, likely won't lead to a rate cut next week. What's worse, it might be too late to avoid a recession , according to one former central bank president.
• This sector isn't sexy, but it's worth your investment. America's infrastructure is crumbling, and Bank of America expects an uptick in restoration and building projects in the next decade. That's a huge growth opportunity for investors .

3 things in tech

• The AI hype train is still running at full tilt. Just don't ask where the profits are. Although AI enthusiasm super-powered some US equities, investors are starting to question Big Tech's big spending . They grilled Google's parent company on AI initiatives and are likely to focus on it when Meta, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft report earnings next week.
• Tech can still be a lucrative career choice. Despite the industry's recent layoffs, some people have successfully made the move into tech. One former teacher broke into the field with a coding bootcamp, and now makes six figures . Another shared the résumé that helped him land a job at Microsoft .
• OpenAI is coming for Google's lunch. In a virtual declaration of war against Google, OpenAI just confirmed it's launching SearchGPT , bringing it a step closer to its own search engine. Though just in a testing phase, the temporary product will directly compete with Google's Search Generative Experience.

3 things in business

• Behind-the-scenes worries about music stars' COVID cashouts. Los Angeles accounting firm NKSFB helped stars like Nickelback and Chris Brown secure COVID relief cash from the federal government. The stars got millions in taxpayer money — even though NKSFB initially fretted that they could be breaking the law by applying, court documents say.
• How moguls like Rupert Murdoch control their companies without owning them . The Murdoch family is headed for a fight over Fox and News Corp that would make "Succession" writers proud. Though both are publicly traded companies, they're built on a stock structure that lets one family wield enormous power. They're not the only ones .
• The US job market teeters near the "danger zone," according to a famed economist. Claudia Sahm is the creator of the highly accurate recession indicator Sahm Rule. She warned that the job market is in the "yellow zone" as unemployment ticks higher.

In other news

• Barack Obama finally endorses Kamala Harris .
• Real estate investors weigh in on how passive rental income really is: 'It's like having an expensive puppy.'
• Lululemon just released new leggings. Shoppers and shareholders are mad.
• How Trump could replace JD Vance if the Ohioan's terrible polling continues .
• One of MrBeast's oldest friends quit his operation in a scandal. It could hurt him too .
• I'm a quiet vacationer. Here's how I used a mouse jiggler to take a monthlong trip to Italy without telling my boss .
• FBI director says there is 'some question' whether Trump was hit with a bullet or shrapnel .
• Sam Altman says the US has to do 4 things to prevent China from taking the AI throne .

What's happening today

• Donald Trump meets with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago.
• Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony.

The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Jordan Parker Erb, editor, in New York. Hallam Bullock, senior editor, in London. Annie Smith, associate producer, in London. Amanda Yen, fellow, in New York.

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Southwest Airlines says ‘assigned and premium seating’ will replace open seating plan

Bill Chappell

Southwest Airlines unveiled big shifts in how it does business Thursday, saying it will throw out the open-seating model it has used for decades and introduce redeye flights. Here, an employee and passenger are seen at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport last year in Austin, Texas. Brandon Bell/Getty Images hide caption

An unofficial motto of Southwest Airlines’ open seating process for its people boarding its planes was once , “You can sit anywhere you want — just like at church.”

But after some 50 years, Southwest passengers will soon encounter a different process when they book and board a flight. The airline will offer assigned and premium seats and a revamped boarding model, it announced on Thursday .

Boeing agrees to plead guilty and pay a nearly quarter-billion dollar fine

Adopting a system of “assigned and premium seating is part of an ongoing and comprehensive upgrade” for customers, Southwest President and CEO Bob Jordan said , adding that research shows passengers “overwhelmingly prefer” an assigned-seat system like that used by other carriers.

In another change, Southwest also said it would introduce redeye flights. It did not say when the new policies would be enacted.

The company unveiled the dramatic shifts in how it does business as it announced financial results for the second quarter, showing net income of $367 million on record operating revenues of $7.4 billion. In the previous quarter, Southwest lost $231 million. The airline has $11 billion in liquid funds, but it also has $8 billion in debt and is affected by the ongoing struggles at Boeing, its longtime partner .

"We are taking urgent and deliberate steps to mitigate near-term revenue challenges and implement longer-term transformational initiatives that are designed to drive meaningful top and bottom-line growth,” Jordan said.

The Southwest CEO said in April that delivery delays of new planes from Boeing, which has been embroiled in regulators’ concerns over safety issues, “presents significant challenges for both 2024 and 2025.”

At the factory that builds the 737 Max, Boeing rethinks how it trains new hires

In its update, Southwest said it received five Boeing 737-8 MAX planes in the second quarter while retiring seven older Boeing planes. Southwest had ordered 58 Boeing 737-8 MAX planes for 2024; it now expects to receive around 20 of the aircraft this year.

Southwest says it’s carrying passengers in record numbers. But it’s also retiring more aging aircraft than it can add this year: With the delivery delays from Boeing, the airline’s fleet will fall from 817 planes at the end of the second quarter to roughly 802 at the end of 2024.

• Southwest Airlines

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Zhukovsky International Airport, formerly known as Ramenskoye Airport or Zhukovsky Airfield - international airport, located in Moscow Oblast, Russia 36 km southeast of central Moscow, in the town of Zhukovsky, a few kilometers southeast of the old Bykovo Airport. After its reconstruction in 2014–2016, Zhukovsky International Airport was officially opened on 30 May 2016. The declared capacity of the new airport was 4 million passengers per year.

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