Ugh. The dreaded "Basic Polaris" class has arrived

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British Airways and Lufthansa have been charging Business Class users to pick their seats for a while now, so we knew it was only a matter of time before United's management flipped out that they were "leaving money on the table" and followed suit. 

Plenty of sites are covering this latest enshittifcation, but long story short,  the new "Base" Polaris:

  • includes 1 free checked bag instead of 2
  • requires you to pay to choose your seat
  • has no ability to upgrade to the new Polaris Suite
  • has United Club access, but no Polaris lounge access
  • has no free ticket changes or refunds available
We all know that this isn't going to magically create a cheap Polaris seat for those types who "just want a bed in the sky and don't want any of that other fancy stuff." While that's how this un-bundling is always presented -- "we're providing choices!" -- the reality is that the crappy new product will have the old price and you'll have to pay even more to get any of the nice bits they took away. 

No idea yet how this will translate when you're booking with points, but my guess is that Saver rewards will book into the Basic category. Also no idea how this will work when overlaid with elite benefits (I should get more than 1 bag as a Platinum member...) 

Honestly, the last time I tried to get a shower in the Polaris lounge the line was so long I couldn't. Ditto the Polaris lounge seated dining. While this new policy might free up some lounge space, United has already stated that their new Coastliner premium service (NYC-LAX/SFO) will include Polaris lounge access, so I doubt there will be any easing of the crowds. 

But here's the thing: prior to now, if the lounge was overcrowded and you miss a shower or a sit-down meal, you sorta have a "oh well, I didn't get to experience this 'free' thing..." mentality. But if I explicitly paid extra for Polaris Standard/Flexible and couldn't get a shower or a sit down meal, I'd be on the CS line demanding some kind of points compensation. A friend pointed out that the lounge math might change up a bit once the Centurion Lounge opens at Newark next year. 

I'm still curious about a few important details:
- how will mileage tickets be impacted? Will Saver rewards book into Basic?
    UPDATE: according to this guy, no. No changes to award tickets...
- will PlusPoints upgrades clear into Basic?
- will Mileage Upgrade Awards clear into Basic?
- how do the benefits of my status layer onto a Basic 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?
- will they allow Global Services (and other elites) to choose their seats for free at check-in time?

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? 

Oh, and btw, they're bringing this exact same pricing structure to Premium Plus as well. Joy! To quote Edina Monsoon from AbFab "I don't want more choice, I just want nicer things!"


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