Originally Posted by
arttravel
Expedia makes it clear that there is no seat selection on Basic Economy fares.
That's not quite right. As
fastair notes, Expedia clearly states that a fee applies when choosing seats on a Basic Economy fare. From Expedia:
But, that's just a technical detail. Your premise holds: Because of lack of planning, lack of knowledge, or reluctance to pay for a seat, another traveler was forced into a less desirable seat. I agree that's not fair.