Originally Posted by
Diplomatico
Your stated issue doesn't really have anything to do with "credit card travelers", though. When you buy basic economy tickets - whether you pay with cash or with credit card points - you don't get an assigned seat and you forfeit other amenities in return for the lower price.
So it's not really a "points" issue - or an issue of airlines treating "credit card travelers" differently - it's the fact that you're purchasing a ticket in a fare bucket that is encumbered with additional restrictions.
I think the OP is confusing the term "basic economy". I may be wrong but I believe he is saying "basic economy" without regard to the fare class, but saying, "a basic flight, not biz/first" whereas most FTers know that Basic Economy is a fare class where such elements as carry-on and seat selection have been stripped out of the cost