That old saying "you get what you paid for" has never been more apt than now, when it comes to a new type of airfare called "Basic Economy". Introduced by Delta in 2015, in an attempt to compete with such no-frills carriers as Frontier, Spirit Airlines and Allegiant, these airfares save travelers an average of $25 per flight—but come with so many restrictions, they likely don’t pay off in the end.
American Airlines and United Airline rolled out their full Economy Basic plans in early 2017. (At this stage, it looks like JetBlue, Alaska Airlines, Virgin America and Southwest Airlines won’t be jumping on this bandwagon.)
Each program is slightly different and so has different traveler hurdles. So far, the ugliest restrictions are onboard American and United. Book an economy basic seat with either of them, and you won’t be allowed to bring anything onboard that won’t fit underneath your seat. That means that $25 (on average) you saved booking the seat will be eaten up by the $25 you’ll be forced to pay to check your suitcase.
But it doesn’t end there. Basic passengers on these two carriers will only get their seat assignment upon check-in at the airport, a seat chosen by the airline, not the passenger, meaning you’re likely doomed to the middle of a row. And no exceptions will be made for families traveling together, so equip your five-year-old with lots of toys because a stranger may be taking care of him on your flight.
On all three carriers economy basic passengers will do the "walk of shame" as the last to board and the amount of miles you’ll accrue for purchasing the flight will be severely restricted, or gone altogether. Elite passengers on United and Delta who book these tickets will not be allowed to ask for upgrades—no matter how lofty their status is.
And woe betide the Delta passenger who needs to change or cancel a flight. By U.S. federal law, all tickets can be changed within the first 24 hours of booking. But from now on, after that point, Delta basic economy passengers will lose the entire value of the first ticket if they need to make any sort of switch.
Bottom line: it’s more important than ever to read the fine print before you book a ticket. You’ve been warned.
American Airlines and United Airline rolled out their full Economy Basic plans in early 2017. (At this stage, it looks like JetBlue, Alaska Airlines, Virgin America and Southwest Airlines won’t be jumping on this bandwagon.)
Each program is slightly different and so has different traveler hurdles. So far, the ugliest restrictions are onboard American and United. Book an economy basic seat with either of them, and you won’t be allowed to bring anything onboard that won’t fit underneath your seat. That means that $25 (on average) you saved booking the seat will be eaten up by the $25 you’ll be forced to pay to check your suitcase.
But it doesn’t end there. Basic passengers on these two carriers will only get their seat assignment upon check-in at the airport, a seat chosen by the airline, not the passenger, meaning you’re likely doomed to the middle of a row. And no exceptions will be made for families traveling together, so equip your five-year-old with lots of toys because a stranger may be taking care of him on your flight.
On all three carriers economy basic passengers will do the "walk of shame" as the last to board and the amount of miles you’ll accrue for purchasing the flight will be severely restricted, or gone altogether. Elite passengers on United and Delta who book these tickets will not be allowed to ask for upgrades—no matter how lofty their status is.
And woe betide the Delta passenger who needs to change or cancel a flight. By U.S. federal law, all tickets can be changed within the first 24 hours of booking. But from now on, after that point, Delta basic economy passengers will lose the entire value of the first ticket if they need to make any sort of switch.
Bottom line: it’s more important than ever to read the fine print before you book a ticket. You’ve been warned.