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Right on the heels of rolling out some major changes to how you earn miles on paid tickets (spoiler: you’ll earn the most by having status and a United credit card) — United Airlines has announced even more changes. But this time in the form of what it’s calling “tiered fare categories” for Polaris business class and Premium Plus.
In theory, you’ll have more options at different price points. But in reality, these new fare options likely mean you’ll have to pay more for the same benefits you get today.
Let me explain.
United Airlines Is Introducing “Tiered Fare Categories”
According to a press release from United Airlines dated April 3, 2026, the airline is set to introduce a “new tiered fare structure that will make it easier for customers to find the flight experience that best matches their preferences.”
Starting in select markets this month — and expanding to additional long-haul international, transcontinental U.S., and longer Hawaii flights later this year — you’ll begin to see additional unbundled options for both United Polaris and Premium Plus tickets.
United plans to introduce a “Base” ticket option for both Polaris and Premium Plus. These fares will come with fewer benefits, less flexibility, no refundability, and more fees.
To give you a sense of how the Base option compares to higher-priced fares — Standard and Flexible — here’s a look at what’s expected for Polaris business class (available on international, transcontinental U.S., and long-haul Hawaii routes):
And here are the Premium Plus inclusions by fare type:
As mentioned, Base options should begin appearing as soon as this month, and they’ll be positioned to the left of the Standard option in the booking flow.
Related: The Ultimate Guide to United MileagePlus
Making Sense of United's Premium Fare Unbundling
For U.S. airlines, “unbundled” premium cabin fares are still a relatively new concept. They’ve long been common in economy cabins, where they’ve helped airlines compete with low-cost carriers at lower price points while also offering them the ability to capture additional spend from business travelers and leisure travelers willing to pay for extra perks.
But today, as any airline executive will tell you, demand is strongest for premium products. That’s part of why United recently rolled out an “Elevated” Boeing 787-9 with 64 premium seats.
And to fill those cabins, United will need to attract more than one type of traveler willing to spend more to sit up front.
With these new tiered fare categories, United can offer a seat in Polaris business class or Premium Plus at a lower “Base” price point and win over travelers who don’t care about lounge access, flexibility, or refunds.
But for travelers who do want those benefits, United will happily take more of your money to provide them. And that’s really the crux of it. You’ll be able to pick the fare that aligns with the benefits you value.
That said, it’s probably unrealistic to expect these “Base” fares to be meaningfully cheaper than current prices — even if airfare broadly declines once fuel costs come down to earth.
Instead, you’ll likely continue paying similar rates for entry-level fares, while Standard and Flexible fares go even higher.
Defeating United's New Base Fares
It won't be easy to defeat United's new base fares. If you need to extra flexibility or refundability, you'll simply have to pay up for it. One workaround, though, starts with carrying the right United credit card.
For instance, United is limiting Base Polaris and Base Premium Plus fares to just one checked bag. So, if you can’t pack that light, you might consider adding the United Quest℠ Card (Rates & Fees) to your wallet. With it, you’ll get a free first and second checked bag for the primary cardholder and one companion.
And again, it doesn’t matter which fare type you book, so long as you purchase the ticket with your card.
- Earn up to 100,000 bonus miles and 3,000 PQP
- NEW! 10x total miles on eligible United flights and 4x miles on all other eligible United® purchases
- 1x mile on all other purchases
- Get a jump start on earning Premier status with 1,000 Card Bonus PQP each year, awarded within 8 weeks of February 1, starting in the calendar year following your account open date.
- Free first and second checked bags--a savings of up to $360 per roundtrip (terms apply)
- Receive a $200 United® travel credit and 10,000-mile award flight discount on each account anniversary
- NEW! Save at least 10% when booking flights with miles. Premier members earn even more.
- Member FDIC
- 4X miled per $1 spent on United® purchases*
- 5X miles per $1 spent at Renowned Hotels and Resorts
- 2X miles per $1 spent on all other travel
- 2X miles per $1 spent at restaurants
- 2X miles per $1 spent on select streaming services
- 1X mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
Beyond that, a United credit card or Premier elite status can't save you from things like non-refundability, so if that's something you care about, you'll have to pay extra for the privilege of having that option.
Related: From No Annual Fee to Club Lounge Access: Find the United Credit Card for You
Bottom Line
Before you know it, you’ll have another fare option for booking United Polaris and Premium Plus. These “Base” fares will offer limited benefits (at what’ll likely be today’s “Standard” prices). We’ll reserve final judgment until these fares roll out, but I wouldn’t get your hopes up. If anything, you’ll probably end up paying more and getting less. And that's not something we're exactly looking forward to.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: United Quest℠ Card (Rates & Fees)
Thank you Tyler for clearing up how lounge access fits in these bundles. To Brian Kusler’s comment, looks to me like United is just going deeper into something Delta and American already did (particular with Delta putting out rumors of further de-bundling to come), as I have seen refundable premium options offered alongside “standard” First and Biz tickets on both.
Pay more or get less: You can’t say that Kirby isn’t consistent.
Tyler Glatt, you said “if you regularly book Polaris business class and value United Club access before departure or on a layover, you could book the cheaper Base fare and instead carry the United Club℠ Card” but the chart you gave shows United includes United Club with the Base Polaris fare (and Polaris Lounge with the other options). And the Premium Plus chart shows none of its options including any lounge access. Further, I always understood the United Club℠ card does not give access to Polaris lounges, only United Club℠. What am I missing here?
Good catch; you’re right. Too many yeses and nos on that table 🙃 Cleaned that section up!
Very curious about a few details:
– how will mileage tickets be impacted? Will Saver rewards book into Base?
– will PlusPoints upgrades clear into Basic?
– will MUAs clear into Basic?
– how do the benefits of my status layer onto a Base fare? Do I still get 3 bags as a Platinum?
– is mileage earning affected?
– is the Polaris Studio seat upgrade cheaper from Flexible than Standard?
Also, adding Polaris lounge access for Coastliner people negates most of the lounge thinning, but maybe it’ll shave down some of the peak time crowding since Coastliner flights are more evenly distributed throughout the day?
The enshittification of everything continues. Why can’t there be a US airline that actually cares about customers anymore instead of seeing us as annoying ATMs