As a travel journalist, I typically find myself on a plane at least once a month.
I almost always book with United and fly with a backpack, which means stuffing it under the seat in front of me, making for a tight and unpleasant journey in economy.
However, I completely elevated the way I travel after purchasing United’s Economy Plus subscription, which allows me to upgrade to Economy Plus seats whenever they’re available on my flights for no extra fee. This gives me access to more legroom and a spot in the front of the economy cabin.
There are different subscription tiers available, depending on how many people you’re traveling with and where you’re going. Subscriptions start at $600 a year and cost more if you want to add companions or travel internationally.
Since I often travel with my kids, I purchased the $800 option, which grants me and one companion access to upgrades on eligible flights within the continental US.
Although the subscription may seem pricey, it’s already paid for itself
I first purchased the pass when I booked flights for a trip to Miami with my 13-year-old son. Because we were in the standard economy section, we weren’t guaranteed to sit together without paying an extra fee to upgrade to Economy Plus seats.
We could’ve waited for our seats to be assigned before boarding, but I didn’t want to risk sitting separately.
Upgrading our seats without the pass would’ve cost $320 per person for a round-trip flight (a total of $640) in addition to the price of our tickets. This made the subscription almost worth the cost in just one flight.
Since then, I’ve used the pass six times, and already have two more eligible flights booked this year.
Overall, I’ve found the subscription makes flying more comfortable
In addition to the extra legroom, I’ve found a few unexpected perks of having Economy Plus seats.
For example, the extra space allows me to get work done without worrying about the person in front of me accidentally crushing my laptop when they recline.
Sitting in the front of the economy section also helps me to disembark more quickly when we land, which is especially helpful when I have a tight connection.
And of course, the pass also comes in handy in situations like the flight to Miami, where I want to sit next to my kid. Although I can’t always lock in my economy seats, I can select upgraded ones together in Economy Plus if they’re available.
At the end of the day, the $800 price tag is worth it for me since I travel so often. I figure if I’m paying for seats anyway, I might as well be comfortable.
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