United Airlines is rolling out a new ‘unbundled’ basic Business Class airfare. This will take away a number of premium perks for the lowest-priced tickets. Similar moves have been made in the past by Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, Finnair, British Airways and the Lufthansa Group who have restrictive or basic Business Class tickets.

Many carriers will use branded fares to differentiate tiers of airfares with varying levels of flexibility for change and refund fees. These changes are part of a growing trend amongst airlines and more common on Business Class flights nowadays.

See our United Airlines Business Class deal here, or speak to an Airfare Specialist to lock in your next trip.

What are the new United Business Class fare changes?

The new Polaris Base fare will sit below Polaris Standard and Polaris Flexible. It’ll be for the Business Class cabin of both long-range and US transcontinental (east-west) flights, along with selected flights to Hawaii. United's unbundled Business Class fares are based on controversial basic fares which offer lower prices in exchange for restrictions.

You’ll still have Business Class lounge access, but not for United’s exclusive upmarket Polaris Business Class lounges across six US gateways. Instead, Polaris Base ticket holders will be directed to the same United Club used by frequent flyers and credit card holders. And in Australia, it’s assumed you will still be able to visit the lounge of Star Alliance partners, although we’re awaiting confirmation of this from United.

Checked luggage for Polaris Base passengers will be restricted to one bag, rather than two free checked bags of higher Polaris fares. Want a window seat? On a Polaris Base ticket, you will have to pay to select your seat in advance, until online check-in opens where you can book any available seat.

Furthermore, a Polaris Base ticket won’t allow changes or refunds, where a Standard fare accepts changes, while the Flexible fare permits refunds.

United Airlines has advised that “there are no changes to award ticked policies”, meaning that Award Seats purchased with frequent flyer miles won’t be issued as restrictive Polaris Base fares.

Will the Polaris Base fare be cheaper?

In theory, fewer included perks should be reflected in a lower overall cost. But often, with other airlines, we have seen that the difference is not always great. You can chat to one of our Airfare Specialists for a comparison of branded fares between airlines to learn more.

United Airlines are advising that “the base category offers customers the lowest price point”, yet it has not been confirmed whether this means a more affordable fare. It could possibly mean the price attached to today’s cheapest Polaris Standard fare slides down to become the Polaris Base price, and gives passengers the option to upgrade to a higher fare to get the full Business Class experience.

More information will be provided once these fares become available throughout the month. See our United Airlines Business Class deal here, or speak to one of our Airfare Specialists to learn more. Read more about the United Polaris 787-9 Dreamliner product in our review here.