By Shawn Gallagher
When you book a flight, chances are you’ve seen Basic Economy as one of the fare options. But you also notice that it’s cheaper than the regular economy class option. Why is that? Although it’s tempting to blindly pick the cheaper option, it’s important to be mindful of the differences when trying to decide on Basic Economy versus Main Cabin fares. Let’s go over the differences and discuss whether the cheaper fare is worth it or not.
What Is Basic Economy, Exactly?
To start, let’s get these terms right. Main Cabin and Basic Economy are terms used to describe the fare and experience within the general economy class. However, each airline will call it differently. On American Airlines, for example, you’ll find a Main Cabin fare and a Basic Economy fare. There is no physical difference between Main Cabin and economy necessarily, and the same goes for Basic Economy.
The difference comes with the fare and overall experience. Basic Economy is an economy class ticket with more restrictions and stricter fare rules compared to the regular Main Cabin ticket.
Let’s take a look at this American Airlines flight from New York to Los Angeles as an example. We can see that Basic Economy goes for $309, while Main Cabin goes for $359, a $50 difference. We can see some of the restrictions listed under the fare.
Choosing Basic Economy here would mean you’d have to pay a fee to choose a seat in advance. You’ll also board last, in group 9. Changes and refunds aren’t allowed either (American Airlines allows AAdvantage members flying within the US to cancel for a travel credit).
The Restrictions
Although restrictions vary by airline, these are generally not worth the price difference you get. Here are the common limitations when flying Basic Economy.
1. Paying For Seat Selection
You may want to be able to select your seat in advance, especially on a longer flight. Some of us also enjoy looking out the window during the flight, or we may want the aisle seat for more space and freedom to stand up without climbing over your neighbors. However, unless you pay to select a seat when you’re on a Basic Economy ticket, you can expect to be stuck in a middle seat that’s toward the back of the plane.
Related: Is Main Cabin Extra on American Airlines worth it?
2. You Board The Plane Last
Basic Economy passengers board the plane last. In addition to having to wait, you also have the high possibility of having to check your bag since the overhead bins are likely to be full by the time you get on the plane. If a flight is overbooked, people boarding at the end may be chosen to get bumped to a later flight too.
3. Paying For Carry-On Bag
Speaking of carry-ons, although you’ll be allowed a carry on when flying American or Delta, United and JetBlue won’t even allow a simple carry-on bag, unless you pay for it. That extra fee for a carry-on bag alone might be the difference between the Basic Economy and Main cabin fare.
4. You’ll Earn Less/No Miles
You can expect to earn less miles when flying Basic Economy. When flying American, you’ll earn miles at a rate of 2 miles per dollar versus the regular 5 miles per dollar on a regular ticket. United and JetBlue passengers also receive miles at a reduced rate (50% rate on United, 1 point per dollar on JetBlue), while travelers on Delta won’t receive any miles at all.
5. Limits On Cancellations And Refunds
Although a regular Main Cabin fare will allow you to make changes to your flight, a Basic Economy fare won’t. JetBlue and American are the only airlines that allow changes to a Basic Economy fare. However, American Airlines passengers must be an AAdvantage member and JetBlue charges a fee.
Is The Fare Difference Worth The Restrictions?
Most times, no. A good way to look at it is to see if you’ll have to pay any fees associated with the ticket, like paying for seat selection or paying for a carry-on. If any of the fees add up the total cost closer to the Main Cabin fare, it probably isn’t worth it. However, if you really don’t care about any of these things and you see a big fare difference between Basic Economy and Main Cabin, you may be able to take advantage.