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Whether heading home to visit for break going to see friends taking a vacation or heading overseas to study students frequently need to get from one place to another often on a shoestring budget. The price of a flight can be a traveler’s expense so asking “Are United flights cheaper for students?” is hardly out of the ordinary.
The quick answer is a conditional yes but United discount hinges on the traveler’s age not their student ID. The carrier has provided a Youth Young Adult Discount of as much as 5% off on United Economy and Economy Plus tickets for eligible MileagePlus members aged 18-23 years old. No matter the reason for travel both students and nonstudents are eligible for the offer as long as they fit the age and membership requirements.
Does United Have a Student Discount?
United does not have a classic student fare that offers X% percent off for anyone who holds a university or college student card. Instead United has a young-adult fare based more on a traveler’s age. That’s a key difference.
Having a university ID and attending university does not guarantee that you’re entitled to the discounted rate.
However if you have a student who is at least 18 but no more than 23 years old and are a member of the MileagePlus Program with United Airlines you can be eligible to make use of this young-adult fare.
How Much Can Students Save?
Travelers qualified for 5% discount on qualifying airfares The 5% discount applies to some United Economy and United Basic Economy tickets. If a fare is eligible and its base rate is $400 for example then a 5% discount is $20. But the total amount you’ll have to pay is determined by other costs such as taxes and fees etc.
Although $20 is a small amount for a single travel many regular traveling students could benefit from using the discount over the course of many trip.
Many traveling students may use this discount for more than once a year.
Who Is Eligible?
Age eligibility for the Young Adult Discount typically ranges from 18 through 23. To apply the Young Adult Discount your date of birth must be properly entered in your MileagePlus account for United to apply United’s eligibility standards to you. It’s worth noting that students don’t automatically qualify – a 21-year-old not currently enrolled in higher education would be eligible to take advantage of the age discount whereas a 25-year-old enrolled in college would not. So if you’re under the age limit you may want to set up an account now before you browse available routes.
How Do I Get the Discount?
If eligible first sign in to your United MileagePlus account and verify all of your information. United’s booking process (on its website and its mobile app) also include the Young Adult Discount and eligible customers should be able to select young-adult travel in the flight search and if the option is available it should display at the appropriate fare price during the checkout process.
Does the Discount Apply to Every United Flight?
Does not apply to any United ticket. This promotion is only applicable to qualifying tickets on specific Economy fares and select Basic Economy fares. Some routes or fare products may have differing restrictions.
As a result you should not expect that all United flight tickets would have a fixed rate of 5% discount on this occasion.
Compare between fares and see the final price before proceeding. Also it may be worthwhile to compare similar offers with one another considering the benefits. A bit costlier fare might give better benefits such as flexibility to change your plan or more convenience to fit your particular travel needs.
What If I’m Older Than 23?
Even if you qualify as a “student” but are already over the typical age limits set by United’s program being a student alone doesn’t ensure you’re eligible for a young adult discount. However don’t despair if that is your predicament. Just look for alternate methods to shave dollars off your United flight cost.
Some ideas may include playing around with Flexible Flight purchasing flights in advance, checking United’s Special Fares or leveraging your United’s MileagePlus awards to lessen your expenditure.
International student travelers should check the total cost of United fares too — several other airlines exist with student specific flight programs.
Final Thoughts
Do students receive United flight discounts? Potentially if you are a student eligible for the United young-adult fare. However the benefit isn’t exactly a typical united Airlines student discount. Instead the benefit is an age-based offer for applicable MileagePlus members when Traveling With Travelers who are eligible for 5% off of certain Economy fares and Basic Economy fares:
Read Also: How Can I Get a Senior Discount on Delta Flight?
