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Basic economy: Are those cheaper United, American and Delta fares right for you?

Dawn Gilbertson
USA TODAY

PHOENIX -- Shopping for airline tickets just got more complicated.

American Airlines, the world's largest carrier, has expanded its no-frills basic economy fares to most U.S. routes after testing them on select flights for months.

With that expansion in early September, three of the big four U.S. airlines — American, United and Delta —  now offer basic economy fares throughout the country. (Southwest Airlines does not offer them.) Shop for a Phoenix-Chicago flight on Expedia and the cheapest flights that pop up are in basic economy. Ditto on airline websites if you search by price.

Basic economy is not a specific section on the plane like those premium economy seats some airlines sell with extra legroom and other perks. It's simply a cheaper fare that comes with so many restrictions that critics call it third class or steerage. Southwest's CEO has called it second class. 

 

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What you don't – and do – get

Travelers with basic economy tickets don't get to choose their seats when they book, even for a fee; can't stow a carry-on in the overhead bin on American and United (Delta allows it); board last; and can't make flight changes or request refunds.

They do get the same in-flight services and frequent-flier miles as other passengers and are allowed to check bags for the usual fees.

FIRST-HAND ACCOUNTBasic economy: What it's like in airlines' cheapest seats

Basic economy fares were created to compete with bargain fares offered by rapidly growing no-frills carriers Spirit, Frontier and Allegiant airlines. On those airlines, passengers have come to expect a slew of restrictions, no perks and a pile of fees.

But bare-bones fares are new on major airlines so it's buyer beware, especially as the holiday travel season approaches.

To help travelers navigate the new airfare landscape, we shopped for cheap flights out of Phoenix on airline websites and online travel giant Expedia.

The bottom line: Basic economy is like a fare sale with loads of fine print. Ignore that fine print and you risk nasty surprises such as a minimum $50 fee to check that forbidden carry-on and receiving random seat assignments throughout the plane, even if you're traveling as a family.

MOREAmerican Airlines expands 'basic economy' fares to more flights

9 ways to shop basic economy fares

American Airlines' mobile app details the differences between basic economy tickets and main cabin tickets before booking.

1. Pay close attention to the type of ticket you are buying. This isn't as hard as it sounds. Airlines have gone out of their way to flag the restrictions on basic economy fares. Borrowing a page from Spirit and Allegiant, American and United practically make you sign on an online waiver before you book. (In part, of course, to scare you into buying a pricier ticket.)

"Please confirm that basic economy fits your travel,'' is the headline on a giant pop-up on United's site when you select a basic economy fare. It features a side-by-side comparison of basic economy vs. economy, touching on baggage, seating, frequent-flier miles and more. Travelers have to click a box that says "Basic economy works for me'' to continue.

American's large pop-up asks "Are you sure?'' with a similar side-by-side comparison of restrictions and benefits. You have to click a box that says "accept restrictions'' to book. There's another reminder of the restrictions before you pay.

Expedia has different notices for each carrier when a basic economy fare is displayed; click on the ''i'' for information and it highlights the restrictions. It's not as in your face as the airlines' warnings but isn't ignored, either.

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2. Do the math. Determine whether the savings are enough to offset the restrictions. The price gap between basic economy and the next fare category – main cabin on American and Delta and economy on United –varies widely by airline, route, travel date, flight times, competition and when you book. 

For a Phoenix-Los Angeles weekend trip in November recently, American, United and Delta's lowest fares were identical: $178 round trip for basic economy. The price for a traditional economy ticket – the type of ticket most of us have been buying for years with little homework required beyond baggage fees – was different on each carrier, though. American wanted $15 more round trip, Delta wanted $30 and United, $50.

For my money, paying $15 to be able to use the overhead bin is worth it on a short flight where the wait at baggage claim can equal the flight time. But $50? No way. If you've got more than one person traveling, the equation is different, of course.

Sometimes, the math is a no-brainer. A Phoenix-Dallas basic economy ticket the same weekend was $113 round trip on American and United (via Houston). Regular economy fares for the same flights were more than double: $295 and $344, respectively. Basic economy it is, even if you pay to check a bag. 

The savings can be more dramatic, even last minute, spurred by price drops at Spirit and Frontier. For a last-minute trip from Phoenix to Dallas on American in late September the basic economy fare was $96 round trip. The main cabin fare was $325.

 

3. If you see a ridiculously low basic economy fare, book it. Those last-minute $96 tickets to Dallas on American were plentiful early in the week. By the end of the week they were only available on one departure, before 6 a.m. The cheap return seats were gone, too, except for a pre-sunrise departure.

4. Sometimes basic economy is the same price — or more — than regular economy. We found this on a United flight between Phoenix and Chicago. The round-trip basic economy fare was $300; regular economy was $290. On a Phoenix-San Francisco flight on United, the basic economy and regular economy fares were identical. The good news in both cases: During booking, United's website defaulted to the regular economy ticket and noted that it had fewer restrictions.

5. Don't overlook Southwest Airlines. Even though it doesn't have basic economy and doesn't display its fares on travel-booking websites, the airline does not ignore competitors' pricing moves. That last-minute Phoenix-Dallas $96 price? Southwest matched it on one of its daily flights. On three of the five routes we priced out of Phoenix for a November trip, Southwest's lowest fare was the same as other major airlines' basic economy fares — without the restrictions. Southwest famously allows two free checked bags, has open seating, doesn't charge change fees and issues a flight credit if you need to cancel a flight, even if the ticket is nonrefundable. On Phoenix-Chicago, Southwest's round-trip fare was lower than basic economy. 

6. Don't rule out Frontier and Spirit. They still dangle fares lower than basic economy. Spirit had the lowest round-trip fare from Phoenix to Chicago on the November weekend we checked. And it wasn't even on the airline's red-eye flight via Dallas. It was a non-stop flight at a decent time.

7. In case of a tie on price and flight times, pick American, Delta or United's basic economy fares over Frontier and Spirit's lowest fares. On the major airlines, you still get free non-alcoholic beverages, snacks and entertainment, where available, even if you bought a basic economy ticket. And you can buy Wi-Fi service. Frontier and Spirit charge for beverages, including water, and don't have in-flight entertainment or Wi-Fi. Plus, their websites might drive you crazy with all the upselling to add a hotel, rental car and other extras to your purchase.

8. Avoid basic economy if you're traveling as a family or are picky about your seat. Anyone who's heard an announcement asking for volunteers to switch seats knows airlines try to seat families together, especially when young children are involved. But American, United and Delta warn basic economy travelers that they aren't likely to be seated together. United's website says matter of factly: "Customers traveling in a group, including families, will not be able to sit together." Delta warns that passengers traveling together may not be seated together. American allows you to pay extra for specific seats 48 hours before the flight, but there are no guarantees on the last-minute selection and prices can be steep.

9. Check your bag if you can't travel light. On United and American, basic economy passengers can't use the overhead bin. The carriers say they are serious about basic economy passengers not stowing bags overhead, noting that all carry-ons must fit underneath the seat. Basic economy ticket holders who bring a large carry-on to the gate have to pay the standard checked-bag fee ($25 for one bag, $35 for the second) and a gate surcharge of $25. That's $50 no bargain-hunting traveler wants to waste. The level of policing remains to be seen, given how hectic things are at the gate and the pressure to get flights out on time. It's worth noting that major airlines have routinely let travelers dodge checked-bag fees since they were introduced in 2008 by checking bags for free at the gate, even asking for volunteers as bin space fills up during boarding.

Dawn Gilbertson is a travel reporter at The Arizona Republic. Her content is occasionally featured here in Ben Mutzabaugh's Today in the Sky blog. The Republic is part of the USA TODAY Network. 

 

 

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