Now on sale at United Airlines: extra legroom

It’s come to this: Airlines have piled on so many fees that they’re conducting sales on them.

Witness United’s offer to take 30% off Economy Plus upgrades, which give coach fliers up to five extra inches of legroom. With the discount, the fee runs $9 to $149 each way. You must book this deal online by 9:59 p.m. PST, Thursday, Dec. 18.

But wait, there’s more.

Through Jan. 15, United is also offering online customers 20% off day passes, normally $50, to its Red Carpet clubs; and up to 45% off its new door-to-door baggage service, which normally costs $149 to $179 each way. If you pay in advance, the regular charge for checking your first bag is $12 instead of $15, through Jan. 31.

And if you want priority access to security lines and boarding, just like the big-ticket fliers get, pony up $25 or more under a new United program.

Confused by all these options? Join the club — and read Los Angeles Times Travel Editor Catharine Hamm’s illuminating tale of a United customer who accidentally signed up for a $137 “Award Accelerator” program.

— Jane Engle, assistant Los Angeles Times Travel editor

[Photo: Nam Y. Huh / Associated Press]

Permalink | E-mail | Print | Add to My Trips

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 16, 2008 at 3:14 pm by Jane Engle and is filed under Airline travel, Business Travel, Deals, Family & Kids, Frequent Flier, News, Tips & Advice, Winter. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.