Jan 18, 2017, 9:12 pm
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:
* 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):
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:
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:
- Your first checked bag will cost money on a Basic Economy fare*.
- 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*.
- 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)*.
- 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)*.
- 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.
- Changes are not permitted (worldwide from 01APR21).
- 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):
- 1/2/3 checked bag fees waives, depending on status.
- Priority check-in / security / boarding.
- Lounge access, if applicable.
- No same-day standby or same-day confirmed flight changes, paid or otherwise.
As it does today, American’s 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.
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
- 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).
Basic Economy Fare as of 2017 (also AY, BA, IB), incl. elite benefits (Master thread)
Jan 13, 2020, 12:42 pm
#1276
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: CHARLOTTE
Programs: AA , Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platnium,Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 246
Purchase a main cabin extra at the 7 day window on a basic economy fare?
Can you purchase a main cabin extra at the 7 day window on a basic economy fare
Jan 16, 2020, 9:12 am
#1278
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Bergen County NJ
Programs: AA EXP, UA1K B6 Mosaic 1, Amtrak Select, Marriott Plat , AMEX Plat (noted for club access reference)
Posts: 786
EWR-MIA J is sold out on the flight I want so MCE will do just fine for the 2.5-3 hour in air journey.
I.E. Basic Economy is $54 (cant beat that right) Economy is $144. If I go thru the steps of picking the MCE seat I want when booking as a Economy passenger it costs me $47. If I was to do this as a basic economy would it be the same price? Of course if it's available 7 days out? Which it should be as we are getting very close to that 7 day window...
I can't see why one wouldn't do this on a $54 ticket and then pay $47 to sit bulkhead in row 7 or 8. Vs. paying $144 plus $47 (there is no chance of an upgrade happening with it sold out) and switching flights cost more than the ticket itself. (for all NON elite of course)
Jan 26, 2020, 7:22 pm
#1280
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: WAS
Programs: AA EXP2M, DL 1MM DM ext, UA PP <=> HH G/Marr PE/Hyatt G/IHG P FT RA ( Recovering Addict)
Posts: 4,596
Feb 3, 2020, 6:07 pm
#1281
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,427
Looks like I'll have to figure it out because, honestly, the price differentials I've been seeing on BE to regular coach are astonishing. It would be impossible to get enough value by paying hundreds more.
Feb 4, 2020, 6:49 am
#1282
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AAdvantage PP
Posts: 13,913
My daughter is flying a domestic widebody flight next week on a BE fare. I looked on the AA website today and more than half the coach seats are still unassigned. Aisle seats in the middle are going for 10 bucks, and I'm happy to spend $10 of my $200 AMEX Platinum credit on an aisle seat for my daughter. But I have a few questions. First, is there a free tool to figure out how many seats are sold on this flight? With so many pax likely booked in BE (the BE fare was about 1/5th the coach fare when I booked her a few weeks ago), I'm assuming the seat map is not a good indicator of how crowded the flight is. What I'd like to do is try to get her a row where the seat next to her stays empty (knowing how crowded the flight is would obviously help in this effort). If this was your strategy, when is the best time to buy the seat assignment? Like maybe a few hours before departure? And once you buy a seat assignment, can you change it to another one at the same price (or pay the differential to a more expensive seat)? And can you still buy a seat if you wait, take a chance on a decent random assignment at check-in, and then buy a seat if you don't like that selection? Ah, so much BE seat-assignment strategy! Looks like I'll have to figure it out because, honestly, the price differentials I've been seeing on BE to regular coach are astonishing. It would be impossible to get enough value by paying hundreds more.
Looks like I'll have to figure it out because, honestly, the price differentials I've been seeing on BE to regular coach are astonishing. It would be impossible to get enough value by paying hundreds more.
Feb 18, 2020, 9:08 am
#1283
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,427
So as a follow up, we were watching the seat assignment map on my daughter's flight and decided NOT to buy a seat assignment. About 10 hours before her flight, with only a handful of middle seats (which were next to open window/aisle seats) and lots of "better" seats available, we checked her in. AA assigned her one of those middle seats -- splitting up the last row of 4 in the 2-4-2 configuration. Bizarre. If you were a party of 3 or 4, there were then no adjacent seats to assign.
It seemed like we could then STILL buy a different seat assignment for her, but we didn't bother. We looked at the seating chart right before boarding, and the seats next to her were still empty. She boarded and moved over to the empty aisle seat, leaving her adjacent assigned seat empty. Nice!
For her return widebody flight, the situation looked similar, but the flight looked more crowded. Again, we did nothing but watch the seat map. About 6 hours before the flight, there were no middle seat assignments left, as BE pax seemed to be "randomly" assigned seats as they checked in. We checked in my daughter. She was given an aisle seat along the window.. Again, success! BTW, this flight did go out completely full, so it seems like there were about 50 BE pax on the plane.
So now my wife and I are booked on a $45 BE ticket to Florida. It's a 2 hour narrowbody flight later this week. Seats are starting to look scarce -- not like my daughters flight. We decided to each pay $10 (not really "pay" -- I will use some of my AMEX Plat airline credit) to take two aisle seats across from each other about 6 rows from the back. For that price, we didn't want to risk being assigned random middles. Middle seats are the same $10. Normally, I think I would have assigned us an aisle and a middle seat next to it (or try to get lucky and book a window and aisle), but how can I pay $10 to "buy" a middle seat when the same money buys an aisle or window?
This whole system seems a bit nuts. For our flight, BE was $45 and regular economy was $229. If I can use my "credit card status" to get a decent boarding group and then pay $10 for an aisle seat, why would I -- or anyone -- pay more than BE for this flight?
It seemed like we could then STILL buy a different seat assignment for her, but we didn't bother. We looked at the seating chart right before boarding, and the seats next to her were still empty. She boarded and moved over to the empty aisle seat, leaving her adjacent assigned seat empty. Nice!
For her return widebody flight, the situation looked similar, but the flight looked more crowded. Again, we did nothing but watch the seat map. About 6 hours before the flight, there were no middle seat assignments left, as BE pax seemed to be "randomly" assigned seats as they checked in. We checked in my daughter. She was given an aisle seat along the window.. Again, success! BTW, this flight did go out completely full, so it seems like there were about 50 BE pax on the plane.
So now my wife and I are booked on a $45 BE ticket to Florida. It's a 2 hour narrowbody flight later this week. Seats are starting to look scarce -- not like my daughters flight. We decided to each pay $10 (not really "pay" -- I will use some of my AMEX Plat airline credit) to take two aisle seats across from each other about 6 rows from the back. For that price, we didn't want to risk being assigned random middles. Middle seats are the same $10. Normally, I think I would have assigned us an aisle and a middle seat next to it (or try to get lucky and book a window and aisle), but how can I pay $10 to "buy" a middle seat when the same money buys an aisle or window?
This whole system seems a bit nuts. For our flight, BE was $45 and regular economy was $229. If I can use my "credit card status" to get a decent boarding group and then pay $10 for an aisle seat, why would I -- or anyone -- pay more than BE for this flight?
Feb 18, 2020, 6:41 pm
#1284
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,427
Seems to me that AA is testing what passengers are willing to pay for seat assignments. I've got a roundtrip BE ticket to Florida -- where you can pay for a seat assignment 7 days in advance if you want to -- and the same seats that are $10 on the outbound are $17 on the return.
Knowing human psychology, I'm sure a lot more people will buy seat assignments (especially solo travellers seeking to avoid a middle) if it's 10 bucks, but would be more inclined to take their chances at $17. The question for AA is which is the profit maximizing price, and at what point do they lose customers who are annoyed by this annoying game.
Knowing human psychology, I'm sure a lot more people will buy seat assignments (especially solo travellers seeking to avoid a middle) if it's 10 bucks, but would be more inclined to take their chances at $17. The question for AA is which is the profit maximizing price, and at what point do they lose customers who are annoyed by this annoying game.
Last edited by iahphx; Feb 22, 2020 at 12:17 pm
Mar 4, 2020, 7:56 am
#1285
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: UK
Programs: Bonvoy Gold, AA Plat, Volare Premier, VS Silver, National Emerald Elite, Hertz President Circle
Posts: 2,526
[Edited for brevity]
I have discovered that long haul basic economy tickets are changeable for a fee plus the fare difference. What is the fee? I cannot find the fare rules.
I have discovered that long haul basic economy tickets are changeable for a fee plus the fare difference. What is the fee? I cannot find the fare rules.
Last edited by wobbly wings; Mar 4, 2020 at 10:34 am
Mar 4, 2020, 12:51 pm
#1286
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Melbourne
Programs: ►QFWP/LTG►VA WP►HyattExpl.►HiltonGold►ALL Silver
Posts: 21,995
This what ITA Matrix returns in the fare rules for a LAX-LHR return booking "QKN8I1B5":
Code:
ORIGINATING AREA 1 - FOR TICKETING ON/BEFORE 16MAR 20 CHANGES BEFORE DEPARTURE CHANGES PERMITTED FOR REISSUE/REVALIDATION. NOTE - INFANT DISCOUNTS APPLY. CHILD DISCOUNTS DO NOT APPLY. ----- -NO CHANGE CHARGE ONLY APPLIES FOR TICKETS ISSUED BETWEEN 01MAR20 AND 16MAR20 -CHANGES MUST BE MADE 14 DAYS BEFORE SCHEDULED DEPARTURE OF OUTBOUND TRAVEL FOR NO CHANGE FEE TO APPLY -USD275 PENALTY WILL APPLY WHEN CHANGES ARE MADE LESS THAN 14 DAYS BEFORE SCHEDULED DEPARTURE. ----- THE CHANGE FEE APPLIES PER TRANSACTION AND PERSON. A CHANGE IS A ROUTING / OR DATE / OR FLIGHT MODIFICATION. CHANGE IS PERMITTED WITHIN TICKET VALIDITY OF ORIGINAL TICKET. THE ORIGINAL NON-REFUNDABLE AMOUNT REMAINS NON-REFUNDABLE. -------------------------------------------------- WHERE THIS FARE IS COMBINED WITH ANOTHER FARE AND ONLY ONE FARE COMPONENT IS CHANGED THE PENALTY CONDITIONS OF THE CHANGED FARE COMPONENT WILL APPLY. WHEN MORE THAN ONE FARE COMPONENT IS BEING CHANGED THE HIGHEST PENALTY OF ALL CHANGED FARE COMPONENTS WILL APPLY. -------------------------------------------------- IN CASE OF UPGRADE TO A HIGHER FARE OR IF THE ITINERARY RESULTS IN A HIGHER FARE THE DIFFERENCE WILL BE COLLECTED -AND- THE CHANGE FEE WILL BE APPLIED. -------------------------------------------------- WHEN THE NEW ITINERARY RESULTS IN A LOWER FARE THE CHANGE FEE WILL BE APPLIED -AND- NO REFUND WILL BE MADE HOWEVER THE DIFFERENCE IN FARE WILL BE R ETURNED TO THE PASSENGER IN THE FORM OF A NON-REFU NDABLE TRAVEL VOUCHER WHICH MAY BE APPLIED TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF A TICKET VALID FOR TRANSPORTATION GOVERNED BY AA ONLY.
Mar 12, 2020, 3:00 pm
#1288
Join Date: May 2004
Location: HYI/AUS/SAT originally TTN/EWR/PHL
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards, Jetblue TrueBlue, American Advantage
Posts: 1,190
Basic Economy worse than ULCCs?
I was looking at fares between PHL and AUS and AA came up with a great fare $189RT. This was in basic economy and normally I just look at what the regular economy ticket is but it was $380ish almost $200 more for the roundtrip. I can fly Frontier for a similar rate and with the exception of the carry-on bag being free on AA, everything else is worse.
Assigned Seats:
Frontier pay $10-15 now or get a seat at checkin
AA Wait until 48 hours prior to departure when very few $10-15 seats are available or get a seat at checkin
Carry-on:
Free carry-on on AA (but you have a high chance of having to gate check it)
Frontier $30
(AA wins with the caveat of if you don't like waiting at baggage claim you might have a problem)
Boarding:
Frontier=regular boarding position
AA=Guaranteed to board last and not have access to the overhead bins
Change fee:
Frontier $0 up to 60 days before/$79 59-14 days before/$119 otherwise
AA: Can't change at all for any price
Assigned Seats:
Frontier pay $10-15 now or get a seat at checkin
AA Wait until 48 hours prior to departure when very few $10-15 seats are available or get a seat at checkin
Carry-on:
Free carry-on on AA (but you have a high chance of having to gate check it)
Frontier $30
(AA wins with the caveat of if you don't like waiting at baggage claim you might have a problem)
Boarding:
Frontier=regular boarding position
AA=Guaranteed to board last and not have access to the overhead bins
Change fee:
Frontier $0 up to 60 days before/$79 59-14 days before/$119 otherwise
AA: Can't change at all for any price
Mar 12, 2020, 3:13 pm
#1290
Join Date: May 2004
Location: HYI/AUS/SAT originally TTN/EWR/PHL
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards, Jetblue TrueBlue, American Advantage
Posts: 1,190
Right now, I'm leaning towards Frontier. AA is thru DFW both ways which means that even if I find a decent cheap seat 48 hours before, I'm paying $60 for seats on AA vs $30 on Frontier (F9 is nonstop) if I don't I could end up paying $30 per flight for seats (probably wouldn't choose for the DFW-AUS portion as its a 45 minute flight).. I'll be checking a bag anyway so thats a wash. AAs oasis seating isn't any better than Frontier's (maybe a bit worse, I just flew on one last month. If I need to change thats a possibility.