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Basic Economy Fare as of 2017 (also AY, BA, IB), incl. elite benefits (Master thread)

Old Jan 18, 2017, 9:12 pm
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Last edit by: IADCAflyer
What is Basic Economy?
Basic Economy is (generally) the lowest, "no-frills" Main Cabin (Economy) fare on American Airlines and their Atlantic Joint Business partners (British Airways, Iberia, and Finnair). Basic Economy fares on American Airlines book into the As the lowest fare, it has some special restrictions that other Main Cabin fares do not.

What are the Restrictions?
You can read American Airlines' web page summarizing Basic Economy for the exact details, but there are a few points that likely matter most to FlyerTalkers:
  1. Your first checked bag will cost money on a Basic Economy fare*.
  2. Your seat will be automatically assigned when you check in and unchangeable, unless you pay to change your seat. You may pay to reserve a seat any time after booking*.
  3. No elite upgrades to first class, or complimentary access to preferred seats (green on the seat map) or Main Cabin Extra (orange on the seat map)*.
  4. You will board last, in Group 9 for domestic flights or Group 8 for international flights*. On a full flight, this likely means you will have to gate check your carry-on bag (which is free)*.
  5. You will earn 50% EQMs per mile flown and 0.5 EQS per segment. You will earn full RDMs (based on fare flown) and EQDs.
  6. Changes are not permitted (worldwide from 01APR21).
  7. In IRROPS, Basic Economy customers will not be re-accommodated on other airlines, and will have to wait for the next American Airlines flight (or BA/IB/AY for INTL).

* exceptions apply for American Airlines elite-level frequent flyers as noted below.

Despite these restrictions, Basic Economy can be a good value in certain circumstances.

Are the seats or service any different?
Once you are on the airplane, the experience (seats / drinks / snacks) will be identical to regular Main Cabin.

How can I tell if I have a Basic Economy fare?
Your reservation on aa.com may say it. Basic Economy fares on American Airlines flights book into the B booking class, though Basic Economy fares on BA/IB/AY and their AA* codeshares can book into almost any revenue booking class.

I have an AA credit card, what does that get me?
Yes, if you have an American Airlines credit card that comes with preferred boarding or a free checked bag on domestic itineraries, you will receive those benefits. Additionally, if you have a Citi Executive card, you may use the Admirals Club as normal.

I have AA elite status, what does that get me?
You WILL get the following elite benefits when you buy a Basic Economy fare (note this is not an exhaustive list, basically everything not expressly forbidden is allowed):
  1. 1/2/3 checked bag fees waives, depending on status.
  2. Priority check-in / security / boarding.
  3. Lounge access, if applicable.
You WILL NOT receive the following elite benefits on a Basic Economy fare:
  1. No same-day standby or same-day confirmed flight changes, paid or otherwise.
Will I be seated with my child?
As it does today, Americans reservations system will check for families traveling with children 13 and under a few days before the flight, and attempt to seat each child with an adult. This is the same process we follow for Main Cabin customers.
Families with children over 13 will have to pay for seat assignments to be seated with their children.

I am flying on a British Airways, Iberia, or Finnair airplane, is anything different?
If you do not have AA or oneworld elite status, the restrictions are quite similar and you should expect to pay for everything: paid checked bags, paid seat selection, and no changes / cancellations. Depending on available fare classes, you may have an opportunity to earn additional redeemable miles or elite qualifying dollars by booking a BA / IB / AY flight number instead of an AA flight number; check your options and the partner earning charts on AA for each respective airline (British Airways, Iberia, Finnair).

If you have status, buckle up, because it gets technical, though there are some opportunities to cherry pick benefits and save money. This has been already summarized in the counterpart to this thread on the British Airways forum.​​, so we will not reproduce it here. Note the following correspondences between status levels:
  • AA Gold - BA Bronze - oneworld Ruby
  • AA Platinum or Platinum Pro - BA Silver - oneworld Sapphire
  • AA Executive Platinum or Concierge Key - BA Gold - oneworld Emerald
Generally, there seem to be the following opportunities for arbitrage:
  • If you are a Platinum, Platinum Pro, or Executive Platinum elite, you can generally book Iberia or Finnair-operated Basic Economy flights and not notice any baggage or seating restrictions, as long as they were not marketed by BA.
  • If you do not care about your seat assignment, you can book AA-operated flights with an IB or AY flight number and still receive a checked bag if you are Platinum or higher. You may earn more or fewer RDMs, EQMs, and EQDs.
  • If you do not need to check a bag, you can book BA-operated flights with any flight number, and can choose your seat (7 days in advance for Gold, at booking for Platinum and higher, Exit Rows for EXP).
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Basic Economy Fare as of 2017 (also AY, BA, IB), incl. elite benefits (Master thread)

Old Jul 24, 2019, 3:28 pm
  #1156  
uxb
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: JFK, DCA, BUR, YVR
Programs: AC, AS, BA, DL, HH (D), MR (T/LTP), UA (*S), UScAAre (PLT/1,87MM), WN
Posts: 5,206
Originally Posted by newyorkgeorge
it seems as though the number of paxs that buy BE fares and end up in MCE is out of whack. I wonder what kind of tweaks will come. I hope AA doesn't reduce the number of MCE rows to better match demand. If DL considers their version of MCE (Delta Comfort) a separate class of service will DL sit their version of BE paxs in Delta Comfort if other Y seats are full? Or do they do a cabin roll?
The likelihood of a tweak on the horizon is as plausible as AA ditching BE altogether.
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Old Jul 25, 2019, 12:49 pm
  #1157  
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Kansas City, MO
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 3,643
Originally Posted by aacar
Google Flights
I got an alert today from google flights about a price drop and went ahead and booker my tix to Miami. I went for the basic economy fare. Outbound is the nonstop AA2924 on a E75 with 2 seats. Return is AA2924 on a 757 to 1505 on a 738. If the husband and I can't sit together for these short flights it's no big deal. I got $375 ea RT versus $435, yesterday's fare. Because of my gold stars I get free bag check so if we are last to board we don't need bin space.
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Old Aug 1, 2019, 12:51 pm
  #1158  
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: USA
Programs: AA Gold, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 309
Unhappy

Originally Posted by strayersong
Yes realised the same. My ORD-LHR flight shows a fee for any seat now, and I'm glad I selected MCE when it was still free. I think AA "fixed" it after this perk became more publicised.
That's a bummer. Thanks for the info. I'm flying AA domestic leg "B" to DFW and then BA "O" to MUC.

I was wondering if the O would qualify for MCE under AA Gold bc I'm trying to figure out if I want to initiate a Gold Challenge. It's confusing trying to figure out what counts for what... especially for EQM/EQD calculations. My ticket stock is 125-
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Old Aug 1, 2019, 2:25 pm
  #1159  
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 130
I have booked a LAX-LHR on BA economy (but identified as basic economy when going through the purchase process) later this year. In my situation, I am paying less USD, but will get more EQD and EQM. The tradeoff is not being eligible for upgrades or applying a SWU.

The key here is to see what fare class the BA codeshare flight on AA metal is. The OW benefit for seat assignment applies, and you will be able to select a MCE seat with BA at booking. You may need to call in to accomplish this. In addition, the AA itinerary will appear on your AA profile, but you will not be able to change a seat assignment on AA without paying a fee. All changes would have to be done through BA.
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Last edited by tbone14; Aug 1, 2019 at 2:32 pm
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Old Aug 7, 2019, 1:53 pm
  #1160  
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: DCA
Programs: FB Gold Privilege
Posts: 412
What's the consensus on getting a better seat?
This is my first time using BE and foolishly checked in T-24h. Of course I got the close to the bathroom, no window, middle seat all the way in the back. Plan is to plead the gate agent as well as lounge for a non-middle seat but how to generally avoid this hell?
Unlike UA, AA doesn't take your seat preference in consideration.
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Old Aug 7, 2019, 3:59 pm
  #1161  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AAdvantage PP
Posts: 13,913
Originally Posted by fjord
What's the consensus on getting a better seat?
This is my first time using BE and foolishly checked in T-24h. Of course I got the close to the bathroom, no window, middle seat all the way in the back. Plan is to plead the gate agent as well as lounge for a non-middle seat but how to generally avoid this hell?
Unlike UA, AA doesn't take your seat preference in consideration.
Not on AA with BE. If you don't choose to pay for a seat you will play seat roulette. Chances are you'd have to speak with the GA when he/she came on duty but don't get your hopes up. Reports are sometimes GAs ask for payment to change a BE seat, sometimes not. However, with packed flights by T-1 more than likely all windows and aisles are gone. Possibly if someone is upgraded at the gate the GA might give you their original seat. But that's doubtful.

Does UA actually allow you seat preference on a BE fare? That would seem to defeat the purpose of a BE fare.
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MiamiAirport Formerly NY George is offline  
Old Aug 7, 2019, 4:02 pm
  #1162  
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 1,285
Originally Posted by newyorkgeorge
Not on AA with BE. If you don't choose to pay for a seat you will play seat roulette. Chances are you'd have to speak with the GA when he/she came on duty but don't get your hopes up. Reports are sometimes GAs ask for payment to change a BE seat, sometimes not. However, with packed flights by T-1 more than likely all windows and aisles are gone. Possibly if someone is upgraded at the gate the GA might give you their original seat. But that's doubtful.

Does UA actually allow you seat preference on a BE fare? That would seem to defeat the purpose of a BE fare.
best bet is to wait until all stand by and upgraded are processed and group 9 starts boarding. Have a seat map ready (you have to do search in aa app and see available seats on the seat map) and ask GA to change to a specific seat you want. They may or may not give it to you
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gateH15 is offline  
Old Aug 9, 2019, 4:33 pm
  #1163  
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 130
Does AA stop selling Basic Economy seats a set number of days before a flight (i.e. there is a minimum day advance purchase)?

For example, there are BE seats for PHX-DEN on Monday and Tuesday, 8/12 and 8/13. However, there is no BE availability today through Sunday (based on lowest fare price)?


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Old Aug 9, 2019, 7:21 pm
  #1164  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Programs: SPG, AA, United
Posts: 1,782
Originally Posted by tbone14
Does AA stop selling Basic Economy seats a set number of days before a flight (i.e. there is a minimum day advance purchase)?

For example, there are BE seats for PHX-DEN on Monday and Tuesday, 8/12 and 8/13. However, there is no BE availability today through Sunday (based on lowest fare price)?


Since they consider BE a separate class of ticket, I could them 'selling out' of BE seats just like any other class even though they can adjust the number of BE on the fly as they wish if the system is coded well.
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Old Aug 11, 2019, 6:33 am
  #1165  
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: Sometimes BA, sometimes AA
Posts: 663
I've been subscribed to this thread to see if anyone posts a situation the same as mine, which I have not seen quite the same already. We fly this week so asking again:

Booked Basic Economy seats on an AA flight number via AA.com and I am an AA elite member, but the flight is operated by BA. Should I get free bag entitlement that goes with my status in this case? As far as I can remember there was nothing to preclude it in any of the terms and conditions I signed up for, but I don't want a rude shock at the airport.

Thanks
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Old Aug 11, 2019, 9:10 am
  #1166  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 1,345
In theory you do not get free checked bags if the flight is operated by BA (on the other hand, you do get seat selection). There have been reports of people being allowed to check a bag for free in the same situation, but you shouldn't count on it.
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Old Aug 11, 2019, 12:28 pm
  #1167  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Programs: SPG, AA, United
Posts: 1,782
Originally Posted by Yllanes
In theory you do not get free checked bags if the flight is operated by BA (on the other hand, you do get seat selection). There have been reports of people being allowed to check a bag for free in the same situation, but you shouldn't count on it.
Odd, I would have thought the purchased carrier's rules applied. Definitely something for me to keep in mind then.
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Old Aug 12, 2019, 8:38 am
  #1168  
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: Sometimes BA, sometimes AA
Posts: 663
I found a doc on the BA website that does seem to preclude me having any bag entitlement and on AA.com it does have some small print that the rules may be different for flights operated by BA. I will be nice and hope for some discretion by the checkin agent but be prepared to carry more onto the plane if I have to.
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Old Aug 12, 2019, 10:27 am
  #1169  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Programs: SPG, AA, United
Posts: 1,782
Originally Posted by potfish
I found a doc on the BA website that does seem to preclude me having any bag entitlement and on AA.com it does have some small print that the rules may be different for flights operated by BA. I will be nice and hope for some discretion by the checkin agent but be prepared to carry more onto the plane if I have to.
Link? I'd like to read that doc too.
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Old Aug 12, 2019, 11:23 am
  #1170  
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: Sometimes BA, sometimes AA
Posts: 663
https://www.britishairways.com/asset...e-guide_en.pdf

Specific to this point, the table at the top of page 6.
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