Does United Airlines do student discounts?
United Airlines is one of the largest international and domestic airlines in the United States. United is a full-service, large carrier that operates in numerous cities in the United States as well as numerous countries across the world. With such broad coverage, United plans for growth in the market by serving all categories of travelers, from regular business travelers to occasional tourists and vacationers. There is one group that is commonly targeted in their marketing strategies by most airplane companies, and that is students. Student discounts and special fares may be appealing to students since they frequently have to travel at a low cost but are granted flying opportunities once in a while. But does United Airlines provide a student promo code or some student-friendly fares?
The short answer is yes, but the student discount is reserved for students on official university travel with their institution. More specifically, United Airlines was offering student fares for ages 13 and above up to 22 years through the United Youth Fares program. In order to apply for the scholarship, you need to be a secondary or post-secondary student at the moment, within 13 to 22 years of age. In addition, the student will need to present a valid student identification card from a recognized institution when traveling to establish his or her student status.
The fares under the United Youth Fares program are not fixed and depend on the route, season, and other factors, including demand. Generally, the students are free to make a rebate of up to fifteen percent on the seats that are available on United Airlines-operated flights. Students can get an up to 50% discount on base fares and surcharges but not on taxes and fees. Also, it may not be easy to find a seat as compared to other normal fares that are offered by the airline. However, this means that a 15% discount can bring fairly significant savings, although, of course, it all depends on the price of the ticket and the distance of the flight in question.
Something useful to know is that United Youth Fares are not as flexible as regular United Fares; in fact, they have many limitations. For example, the youth tickets, which cost less than full adult fares, are non-refundable and attract $125 change fees for any modifications to itineraries. This is different from United’s Saver Economy fares, which have become quite versatile, with many now having free change and cancellation options. Because of this, you can eliminate the change fee of $125 if your travel plans can change often enough to make the annual fee worthwhile.
The United Youth Fares also do not allow any upgrades, seat assignments, or boarding orders to a much greater extent. The students using the reduced fares will always be boarded in Group 5, so they will have to contend with a very limited overhead bin space. Assignments are also not allowed for preferred seats and Economy Plus upgrades. These restrictions make some students prefer a regular main cabin ticket instead of a youth fare, particularly when flying is long and the upgrade and boarding restrictions could be significant.
It is also necessary to mention that the United Youth Fares are not applicable to the flights operated by any other airline that may be in the code share agreement with United Airlines. If you are flying on one of the regional connections that United has with other airlines such as GoJet, Mesa, or SkyWest, then you cannot get a 15% discount. In particular, when you are going to book a youth fare, there is a necessity to ensure that the flight number is connected with UA and does not belong to the other carrier code.
Therefore, in conclusion, while United Airlines does provide reasonable student fares through their United Youth Fares program,. On United operated flights, presently enrolled students with ages between 13 and 22 can get the following discounts: up to 15% off base fares. However, these youth fares attract some restrictions on upgrade fees, pre-assigned seats, change/cancellation fees, and the boarding order. Some of the disclaimers include that the discounts do not apply on certain dates termed blackout dates, depending on the route and demand. Thus, students should consider whether the overall lower ticket price they are offered through United Youth Fares is worth sacrificing for flexibility and seats.
For more money-saving tips, students should also consider student credit cards that can offer more traveling conveniences, hotels, and car rentals, among others. To seize these opportunities, the buyer should also search for the availability of budget airlines such as Spirit and Frontier, apart from the other big airlines like American, Delta, JetBlue, and Southwest. Sales on fares are indeed possible from time to time, although there are likely to be limited offers of base fares combined with special codes for students, regardless of the lack of a “youth fare” offer currently in place. Students will be expected to become smart consumers across the airline sites in order to get bargain deals. However, when with United, they have a small consolation of the youth fares that gives them a small percentage of the discount, and they should brace themselves for the loss of the possibility of changing the fare or upgrading in exchange for the amount that they paid.
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