United to Offer Basic Business Fares
United Airlines increased checked bag fees today, but it also revealed that select business class passengers will soon have to start paying for some perks.
The airline is launching basic tiers for its Polaris business and premium economy cabins that come with many of the same perks, but also plenty of restrictions. These new fares will be introduced in the spring of 2026.
So what does this new Base fare look like? Here are the three tiers for Polaris fares:
As you can see, the Base fare takes away seat selection, the ability to make changes, and removes United Polaris Lounge access. Instead you get United Club access and just one checked bag. The next Standard tier gets you seat selection, two checked bags, and Polaris Lounge access. The most expensive Flexible tier is just fully refundable.
Here’s the chart for United Premium Plus with a similar three-tier setup:
In theory the new base fares should be a cheaper option, but it usually does not work that way. Most likely we will see the current fares becoming Base fares and then the higher tiers getting more expensive.
Let us know what you think!
