United Airlines Introduces Three-Tier Fare Model for Premium Cabins

United Airlines has announced a revised fare structure designed to introduce more segmented pricing options across its premium cabin products. The update adds three fare tiers—base, standard, and flexible—across select long-haul international, transcontinental U.S., and certain Hawaii routes.

United Updates Booking Experience with Tiered Premium Cabin Options

The new structure aligns premium cabin offerings more closely with the airline’s existing economy fare categories, which already include basic, standard, and flexible options. Under the revised system, the base fare will serve as a lower-priced entry option with limited inclusions, while the standard fare will include features such as seat selection, checked baggage, and ticket change options. The flexible fare tier will offer full refundability along with all benefits available in the standard category.

These changes apply to products including United Polaris and United Premium Plus on eligible routes. The airline also confirmed that the United Polaris branding will be extended to select transcontinental U.S. services and certain longer Hawaii routes. Passengers purchasing standard or flexible fares in United Polaris on these routes will receive access to United Polaris lounges, while those booking base fares will continue to have access to United Club lounges.

For domestic and short-haul international travel, as well as economy cabins on long-haul flights, there are no changes to what is included in existing fare categories. However, United has updated how these options are displayed, introducing a redesigned interface on its website and mobile app to improve comparison and selection during the booking process.

The airline expects to begin rolling out the new fare categories in select markets during April 2026, with plans to expand availability across additional long-haul international, transcontinental, and Hawaii routes later in the year. The update reflects a broader industry trend toward more granular pricing structures and enhanced digital retailing capabilities within the aviation sector.