United Says It Won’t Change Carry-on Policy For Basic Economy Fliers

If you pay a bare-bones basic economy fare on United Airlines, don’t expect the carrier to cut you a break on your carry-on luggage. The Chicago-based carrier has announced that it won’t follow the lead of its rival, American Airlines, which began in September to allow basic economy fliers to pack a carry-on bag into the overhead compartment free of charge. If a basic economy passenger brings a carry-on bag that has to go in the overhead compartment, that passenger will be charged a $25 “gate handling charge” in addition to the checked bag fee, Andrew Nocella, United’s executive vice president and chief commercial officer, said this week.