👋 Get My FREE Flight Search Tool That Finds Hidden Flight Deals Like This...

...Unless you enjoy paying full price on tickets!

Published on

Everything you need to know about United Economy Plus

Authors
  • avatar
    Name
    Jonathan Chum
    Twitter
    @jchum

Introduction

If you've flown on United in the past few years, you may have noticed a new type of seat: Economy Plus. These extra-legroom seats offer more space and comfort at a price. This guide will help you understand how to take advantage of all that United Economy Plus has to offer, including the benefits and restrictions for this premium seating option.

What is United Economy Plus?

United Economy Plus is an extra legroom seating option that gives you more room to stretch out and relax. To get United Economy Plus, you can choose to pay a fee when booking your flight or upgrade at the airport. The price will vary depending on the length of your flight, but it's usually around $30-$200 per segment (depending on length of flight).

You can only reserve United Economy Plus if your ticket has been issued with confirmed seats in advance on a certain date combination. You won't be able to change or cancel these tickets once they are booked with United Economy Plus seating because this is an assigned seat by United Airlines—you cannot switch into any other seats unless there are no people in those seats when you board the plane.

How much does Economy Plus cost?

The price of Economy Plus varies greatly depending on the route and length of your flight. Generally speaking, you'll pay more for longer flights, but shorter ones can also get expensive if you're in a very popular cabin (such as between New York and Chicago). If you're flying United Airlines, Orbitz or some other travel websites will let you know if any available Economy Plus seats are free—but there are still some tricks that can help you find these inexpensive options.

If there aren't any Economy Plus seats available at all on your flight, don't worry! There's still hope: adding it to an existing ticket usually costs less than buying one from scratch. In other words, if there's already an economy ticket with two open seats together in one row when boarding begins (and no extra fees associated with splitting up families), then adding another seat next to them may be cheaper than buying new tickets altogether—and it's often easier too!

What are the benefits of United Economy Plus?

Here are the benefits of United Economy Plus:

  • More legroom
  • Priority boarding and check-in
  • Priority baggage handling

Who can I travel with in United Economy Plus?

United Economy Plus is a great option for families, friends, and anyone you want to snuggle up next to on your flight. You can travel with up to three people in your party if they're also passengers in your booking. If they aren't, they may pay for their own Economy Plus seat and sit with you at no additional cost—just be sure to book a seat ahead of time so that someone else doesn't get there first!

Other passengers who have purchased Economy Plus are also welcome to sit with members of the same family or group; however, these individuals will be charged full fare for their seats. So it may not always be worth it financially if there aren't many people in your group who would like United Economy Plus seating options.

Learn how you can have a more comfortable trip on United.

If you're a United Economy Plus passenger, you can use the United App to:

  • Check in for your flight
  • Boarding pass on the phone or print it at home (if you've selected this option)
  • Track your flight status and view gate information while traveling. The app also features an interactive map with all flights departing from one airport in real time. So if your flight is delayed, you can see what's going on with other flights at the same terminal!
  • Book tickets directly through the app using Apple Pay or Android Pay and earn miles/points when shopping at select stores by purchasing gift cards for popular retailers like Amazon Prime Video Store, Starbucks Rewards App & more!

Economy Plus seating.

  • United Economy Plus is an extra legroom seat in the main cabin.
  • It has more legroom than a standard coach seat and features 38-inch pitch, which is 5 inches wider than standard coach seats on most aircraft types.
  • United Economy Plus is available on all aircraft types, with the exception of Boeing 757, 737 and Embraer E-Jet regional jets with fewer than 10 first class seats (the majority of these flights operate out of smaller airports). However, it's important to note that "Economy Plus" seating could vary by aircraft type or even flight—so you may need to ask your gate agent about whether there will be any extra legroom options available before purchasing your ticket.
  • United Economy Plus is available on most flights (except for those listed above), so there's no need to worry about planning ahead if you're traveling with someone who wants more space: just look for the bright orange sticker next time you book a flight!

MileagePlus status upgrades.

United Economy Plus passengers are eligible for mileage upgrades when flying:

  • in the Main Cabin Extra section of United Express flights
  • on most international flights (with the exception of those operated by Star Alliance partners)
  • on qualifying one-way Business Class routes

You can check your status at any time on united.com/mileageplus or by calling MileagePlus customer service at 1-800-alliance (1-800-252-5390). You'll need to provide your name, birthdate and MileagePlus number in order to see your current status.

When you fly with a MileagePlus member.

When you fly with a MileagePlus member, you can book Economy Plus seats for yourself and one companion. You can also use your miles to book an Economy Plus seat for a family member or friend traveling with you on the same flight.

If you don't know anyone going along, there are two ways to make friends in the sky:

  • Booking an Economy Plus ticket at least 24 hours before departure gives you first dibs on choosing seats next to each other before they go on sale to those outside of your group.
  • Donate any unneeded miles! If someone's flight is overbooked, United will look at its list of volunteers who want some more legroom and let them off the hook in exchange for their extra space (up to five times per year).

Economy Plus seats are extra legroom seats.

The United Economy Plus section is the United Airlines answer to all those cramped legroom seats on other airlines. These seats offer a little more room for your legs and knees, giving you extra space to stretch out and relax. They're also ideal for sleeping because there's more room for your head and neck.

How to book an Economy Plus seat.

  • To book an Economy Plus seat, you can do so when you book your flight online or by phone. When booking online, select "Cabin" under "Flight Options" and then choose Economy Plus as your seating option. When booking over the phone, simply request to reserve an Economy Plus seat with your representative.
  • Once you've booked an Economy Plus seat and checked in for your flight, go to a designated United counter at the airport (usually near Gate A) to check in for boarding (this is different from getting TSA Precheck). If you don't have TSA Precheck and didn't receive a boarding pass before arriving at the airport gate area—and if there are no agents available at that station—it may be best to try another counter closer to gate A if possible so that you won't miss out on having time with other amenities on board like free drinks/snacks or entertainment systems such as iPads tablets or laptops available during takeoff and landing times only). Check accordingly with staff members about this beforehand if possible so we know exactly where our next steps should go!

Conclusion

If you want to be the most comfortable person on your flight, Economy Plus is the way to go!