United Airlines Seat Selection: What You Need to Know

When you take to the skies, one of the most important things is knowing where you'll be seated on the airplane. Like most other airlines, United gives its guests assigned seating on its flights. You can select from a variety of seats for free, or pay more for preferred seating and upgrades.

Here's a look at United Airlines seat selection and United Airlines seat assignment policies.

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Most United Airlines flights will have at least two cabin classes: economy and first class. Depending on where you’re going, you may also find business class and premium economy seating.

No matter your fare class, you will be able to choose a seat from the available selection, though how much you’ll pay and the associated fees will differ according to your ticket and various other factors.

Basic economy (most restrictive)

Basic economy tickets don't provide complimentary seat selection in any cabin. In exchange for cheaper tickets, you can either opt to pay for a seat assignment (starting at $15 per flight, per person) or wait until check-in and be randomly assigned a seat.

Families and groups who book basic economy tickets may not all be seated together, but up to two children under 12 can sit next to the first adult listed on the reservation. The rest of the party could be seated separately. To make sure a group is seated together, you can pay to select seats for everyone.

Standard economy

Those booking a regular economy class ticket will have the ability to book a seat for free, although the available options may not be desirable. In this case, customers can also choose to pay for better seats while maintaining their economy class ticket.

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Preferred seating

Preferred seating offers better locations than standard United economy seats, but does not offer extra legroom. The seats tend to be closer to the front of the cabin for faster deplaning. Costs for preferred seating vary depending on the flight, starting at $24 per person, per flight.

People in preferred seats can benefit from faster food and beverage service and can get off the plane before people in the back.

Economy Plus

Economy Plus seats are within the standard economy cabin, located just behind first class. They provide more leg room than regular economy seats, and include bulkhead seating. These seats are more expensive than preferred seats, with variable pricing starting at $29 per person, per flight.

If you like the extra leg room and travel frequently, you can buy an Economy Plus Subscription starting at $599 plus tax for a year. This would allow you to reserve an Economy Plus seat for you and up to eight companions on your reservation.

Premium Plus

Premium Plus is United’s premium economy offering and is available on select flights. This class offers bigger seats and more benefits than economy class, but seats are not as nice as United’s international business class. Premium Plus seats are included in the ticket cost for those who book this cabin, with no additional fee for seat selection.

United first and business class

Like with a Premium Plus ticket, those who book either first or business class fares can choose any seat within the cabin for no additional cost.

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Regardless of where you sit, a United Airlines credit card can provide benefits that make your travel day a little less stressful, from priority boarding and free checked bags to airport lounge access. Among your options:

Loyal members of United’s MileagePlus program receive additional benefits when booking flights, including better seats.

Preferred seating

Silver elite members and above have complimentary access to preferred seating at booking. If the passenger is booked in Basic Economy, there are no elite member seating benefits available.

Economy Plus

Gold elite members and above can pick an Economy Plus seat for free when booking their ticket. Silver members, meanwhile, can choose from available Economy Plus seats upon check-in.

The benefits apply unless members are booked in Basic Economy, in which case you must pay for seat selection.

Premier Gold members can also book an economy plus seat for a companion, while Premier Platinum and Premier 1K can select economy plus seats for up to eight companions.

Wondering what the seats on your flight will look like? United provides a seat map that you can find when booking your flight. Before selecting a flight, you can view the seat map by selecting “Seats” on the search result page.

This will open a live preview of the seats on your aircraft that shows you the layout of seats and availability. You’ll also see the seat map during booking, when you’re prompted to select your seats.

After booking, it’s possible to change your seats by logging into your MileagePlus account, going to "Trips" and selecting "Current Trips." Once on your specific flight page, you’ll be able to view your seat and select a new one if you desire.

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During booking

You’ll automatically be prompted to select a seat when booking your ticket online. Once you’ve selected your flight, you’ll fill out your passenger information and any frequent flyer programs.

Depending on your flight, United may also offer the ability to purchase discounted bundles during checkout. These may save you money over choosing extras individually, though you’ll want to take a look at the costs.

After deciding whether to add a bundle, you’ll be taken to the seat map to choose your seat. A legend on the right will show you which seats are included and the costs of any upgrades for seats available for purchase.

Once you’ve selected a seat, complete the check-out process and pay for your ticket.

After booking

If you’ve already booked a ticket and would like to select a seat or change your existing seat, you can do so from the “Trips” tab under the “My United” option after logging into your United account.

Then, you’ll select “Current” from your available trips. Here you’ll find your trip information, including the option to change your seat.

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United Airlines’ seating policies can be confusing, especially when you’re booking an economy class ticket. The short of it is this: If you book at least a standard economy ticket, you’ll be able to choose a seat for free during the booking process as long as you're traveling on a United-operated flight (versus a flight operated by a partner).

You can also pay to upgrade to seats closer to the front of the plane or with more legroom, though some United elite members will receive access to these better seats for free. Basic economy customers, meanwhile, will always need to pay to select a seat, even if they have elite status.