Basic Economy vs. Economy Airline Tickets

Recently, the majority of US airlines have introduced a new airline ticket class called ‘Basic Economy’. What does this mean and why should you be aware of it? Sometimes searching for airline tickets on sites like Kayak and Expedia provide you with the cheapest ticket option. If you purchase a ‘Basic Economy’ ticket without knowing all the rules, you could run into problems at the airport.

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Each airline’s rules are a bit different, but all Basic Economy tickets have restrictions on carry-on baggage, upgrades, changes and boarding order, most likely boarding last and possibly at the back of the plane.

Below are the specific rules on Basic Economy for some of the major US airlines. Don’t worry- if you book Southwest, you have nothing to worry about. They truly live their brand promise of “Low Fares. Nothing to Hide. That’s Transfarency,” and I don’t see them jumping on board this ‘Basic Economy’ train any time soon.

Alaskan

• Called ‘Saver Fares’
• Limited seat selection or assigned at check-in
• Last to board the plane
• Carry-on luggage allowed, but last to get overhead bin access
• Flight changes not allowed
• May upgrade seat class for purchase if available day of travel
• Cannot guarantee groups of two or more will sit next to each other

American

• You can choose your seat for a fee 48 hours prior flight, otherwise will be assigned for free at check-in
• Carry-ons allowed
• Board the plane last

Delta

• Seat assigned after check-in; sometimes allowed to purchase seat 48 hours before check-in
• Ticket changes or refunds are not allowed
• Carry-ons are allowed and they will be gate checked for free if flight is full when you board
• Board the plane last

Frontier

By default Frontier is Basic Economy. This means that you have to pay money to pick a seat and to pay check or carry on a bag.

United

• A seat is assigned at check-in and cannot be changed
• Upgrades are not available
• Groups/families will not be sitting by each other
• For domestic flights, only a personal item is allowed. Carry-ons are not allowed
• Flight changes and refunds are not allowed
• Last to board the plane

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I have found that Basic Economy is great for:

• Solo travelers
• Travelers packing light with only a personal item, like a backpack
• Flexible travelers looking to get from Point A to Point B for the cheapest price with little to no perks

Have you flown with a Basic Economy ticket? What was your experience?