How Does Seat Selection Work on United Airlines Flights?

It is not a very obvious mix of choice and constraint, and it depends more on the nature of the ticket that you have. Understanding United?s seating is all about your fare class-ranging from basic assignments to premium legroom. They are assigned a free, automatically assigned seat at the check-in stage, usually a middle one, and they have to pay a fee to select a seat beforehand. But when you upgrade to a typical United Economy ticket, the situation is different: you are now allowed to choose among the rest of the standard seats at will during the initial reservation and have the control. Comfort or speed of boarding fans can also find desirable upgrades such as Economy Plus with extra legroom or Preferred Seating with seats nearer to the front, which they can buy at a fee, transforming an ordinary trip into a customized one.

What is United Airlines Seat Selection Policy?

The policy for the united airlines seat selection is determined by the type of ticket you purchase, particularly whether you opt for the most restrictive Basic Economy fare or a standard United Economy ticket.

• The division of the policy to choose a seat depends on the kind of ticket you buy, especially if you are buying the most restrictive Basic Economy fare or a regular United Economy ticket.
• Under a regular United Economy ticket, you are accorded the luxury of free choice of seats among the normal seats in a list of available seats during the booking. 
• You have the ability to see the seat map and book the desired window, aisle or middle seat at no cost. 
• This fare does not allow a free assigned seat to the traveler. Rather a seat will be allocated automatically and free either just before boarding or at the time of check-in. 
• You would have to purchase that assignment in case you want to select a particular seat even of the standard type. 
• In case you want to switch to another standard seat later under united airlines seat selection, you are usually free to do that, as long as there is another seat.
• Additional elite-level benefits such as free Economy Plus are not applied to a Basic Economy ticket, although the carrier does strive to arrange the seat of up to two children under 12 beside a travelling adult at no cost.

Comparing US carriers? See how United?s process differs from the American Airlines seat selection policy.

Premium Seat Upgrades

The airline provides two unique premium seating packages in the Economy cabin which can be purchased by any customer:

• Economy Plus: These seats offer up to six inches of additional room in their legroom and are placed at the front of the Economy cabin, which means that they will leave the plane faster.
• Preferred Seat: It is normal Economy seating which is nearer to the front cab just behind Economy Plus, with faster access to the front of the plane during deplaning, but otherwise does not have any additional legroom.

While Economy Plus offers more room, you might be interested in a full cabin move. Read about the United seat upgrade process here.

MileagePlus Premier Status Benefits

To frequent flyers, the premium seats are free under the MileagePlus Premier status:

• Premier Gold, Platinum, and 1K members will have the benefit of free Economy Plus and Preferred Seating with self and companions at the time of booking.
• Premier Silver members are given Preferred Seating at booking, and may only access Economy Plus after booking, at the point of check-in, on a space-available basis, 24 hours prior to departure.

How do United Seat Assignments Work?

The seats are allocated according to your fare. When using a standard United Economy ticket, you are allowed to choose your seat free when booking. In the case of the restrictive Basic Economy fare, your seat is automatically allocated at check-in 24 hours before departure, and you have to pay a fee to select your assignment in advance. Depending on the status level, premier elite members get free premium seat, such as Economy Plus.

How Does Seating Work for the United Basic Economy?

The united airlines seating plan for the Basic Economy ticket is meant to be the most limiting of the lot, and, in this case, you have to agree with the following:

No Complimentary Advance Seat Selection

The benefit of free united airlines seat selection during the booking process is not available to you when you buy a Basic Economy ticket. Your seat is instead automatically allocated to you just before boarding or at check-in prior to departure within the next 24 hours. This can make one be allocated to a seat that has a lower rating that is often a middle seat.

Option to Purchase Seating

To make sure that you are not assigned to a middle seat or other people apart, you can pay a fee to reserve a normal seat (window or aisle) and this happens in advance since the moment of booking. This seat assignment fee is dynamic and depending on the route and demand costs usually begin at around 15 dollars each way, per head.

Restrictions on Premium Seating

Premium seating is limited to Basic Economy customers:

• Economy Plus: You are only allowed to buy an Economy Plus seat with an additional legroom after the check-in window, 24 hours before departure, as long as they are available.
• Elite Status Exception: Although you might be a MileagePlus Premier, the status free access to Economy Plus and other seating privileges that typically accompany status is not provided on a Basic Economy ticket.

Policy for Families

United has also adopted the policy of United ensures that children under 12 are seated with at least one accompanying adult at no extra cost.

• The system will permit up to two children aged below 12 to sit adjacent the initial adult on the list on reservation regardless of the fare category.
• These nearby seats may be chosen in My Trips or the app after booking. The remainder of your party can however still be seated apart unless you use some money to book everybody a seat.

If you are traveling with even younger children, check out our guide on the United infant policy for bassinet and lap-seat rules.

Which United Seat is Right For You?

You have not yet begun the journey and you need a seat that suits you best and then you should be informed of all the seats that the airline has to offer. All the notable features of the seats that the airline offer are discussed in the table below: 

How Much is United Airlines Seat Selection Fee?

In the case of Basic Economy, the advance reservation of a standard seat begins with around 15USD per person, per flight and may go higher with demand. An upgrade to Preferred Seating or Economy Plus also incurs a fee, one-time purchases to Economy Plus generally begin with a price of approximately 29 and go up to 299 or higher. Free selection of available standard seats is a part of Standard Economy tickets.

Types of United Seats Options by Fare Classes

The options of seats of United are defined according to the cabin and the grade of the service and space, which depend directly on the fare type bought.

How to Select Seats on United Airlines?

The best way to choose a seat will be because you will have the possibility to use vouchers and discounts while making an online reservation. You can also select or change the seat by using Manage Booking, then you can alter your journey: 

• Visit the official website of United Airlines. 
• Select the My Bookings option at the top of the homepage.
• Journey is visible when properly logged in; your your MileagePlus number or confirmation code is enough.
• Select the Menu and pick seat selection to get on another page with a united airlines seating chart. 
• Choose a seat on the map and correctly complete the form.
• Simply follow the on-screen directions and pay for your selected seat. 
• A ticket will be sent to your email with your seat number, confirming your booking.

What is United Preferred Seating and How to Get?

The united preferred seat is the standard Economy seats which have a favorable position particularly, they are nearer to the front part of the Economy cabin. It is necessary to mention that such seats lack additional legroom, which is the key feature of Economy Plus seats.

Key Features of Preferred Seating

• Location: They are normally found by the back seat of the Economy Plus, which gives you a seat that enables you to exit the plane faster when landing.
• Comfort: Seating near the front is usually accompanied by a better access to onboard service and overhead carry-on.
• Standard Legroom: The legroom is equal to any other standard Economy seat.

How to Get Preferred Seating

There are two primary options in gaining a Preferred Seat; by either buying the seat or being a MileagePlus Premier.

• In the Booking: You have the option to choose and purchase a Preferred Seat on the seat map during the purchase of your flight ticket on the web site or in the mobile application.
• Post-Booking: In case you already have a ticket, you can handle your trip through the My Trips area by assigning your current seat assignment to a united preferred seat.
• Cost: Preferred Seating charges are dynamic and differ according to the route, demand and the time you buy it. Preferred seat pricing is dynamic, typically starting around $24 per segment.

Complimentary Access

• Preferred Seating is free on all levels of the MileagePlus Premier program.
• When making a booking as a Premier member, these seats are free so you can choose them and add those of your traveling companions. 

How Does United Airlines Seat Selection Work for Elite Members?

Better seats are provided free of charge to the elite members of MileagePlus. All the levels of the Premier such as Silver, Gold, Platinum and 1K receive free Preferred Seating at the time of booking. In the case of Economy Plus with extra legroom, Gold, Platinum and 1K, members choose their seats free at purchase. Premier Silver members are only entitled to receive Economy Plus on check-in within 24 hours of departure. This is not first-class-like, as it is not given the Basic Economy fare.

How do I Find the United Airlines Seat Map?

The seat map is not too hard to locate as it is easily accessible during the booking process and after the purchase of a ticket. The united airlines seating chart is easily accessible in two places, when you are making your bookings and when you have already bought the ticket.

• Pre-Booking: When you are searching flights on the United site or app, you may frequently see a live seat plan of any flight by clicking on the Seats button next to the fare information. This will enable you to scan availability and then you will be committed to making a purchase.
• Once Booked: Once you are logged in or view your reservation on the My Trips section of the website/app, you will be presented with an option to Change/ Select Seats, which shows the existing seat map.