Unintended consequences of 'Basic Economy'...

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Dec 10, 2014, 7:52 am

#16

GRALISTAIR

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Crazyhotelguy

They could take the last 3 rows or so and call that open seating / WN style and let the E- - pax fight it out.

That is actually an excellent suggestion. When a flight is going to offer E fares - basic economy - whatever you want to call it - blank off the amount of seats you want to/are prepared to sell at the back of the plane - problem solved. ^

Dec 10, 2014, 8:09 am

#17

Winkdaddy

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Clearly Delta is going to have to find a way for families to sit together that buy basic economy. Just as another poster said you cant have some toddler in a middle seat (or any seat) next to 2 strangers while the parents are scattered around the plane. Not gonna work 100% of the time.

This is a no go for everyone involved...

(Maybe a solution is to make Basic fares only available for customers 12 years old and older, thus eliminating the seat swapping mess on every flight so toddlers can sit with parents)

Last edited by Winkdaddy; Dec 10, 2014 at 8:23 am

Dec 10, 2014, 8:17 am

#18

Ben and Jerry

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Quote:

Originally Posted by GRALISTAIR

Yes because families travelling with small children board before Medallions. Possesion is 9/10ths of the law.

Not if they properly enforce their boarding rules: only parents with children travelling in car seats may pre-board. All other families with children must board with their assigned boarding zone.

Dec 10, 2014, 8:28 am

#19

Often1

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Winkdaddy

The entire theory behind E fares is to compete with the ULCC's. That is largely families with kids flying to a leisure destination. Cut the kids out and the E fare becomes useless and that family flies somebody else.

Dec 10, 2014, 8:32 am

#20

Winkdaddy

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Often1

Ok...still doesn't solve the "toddler sitting next to stranger--what do we do" issue

Dec 10, 2014, 8:33 am

#21

MSPeconomist

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Often1

But as another unintended consequence, some employers are forcing Basic Economy fares for business travel when they're available.

Dec 10, 2014, 8:35 am

#22

Faydra

Join Date: Nov 2014

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Quote:

Originally Posted by MSPeconomist

But as another unintended consequence, some employers are forcing Basic Economy fares for business travel when they're available.

Middle seats are a dealbreaker for me. <shudder>

Dec 10, 2014, 8:38 am

#23

rylan

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Quote:

Originally Posted by MSPeconomist

But as another unintended consequence, some employers are forcing Basic Economy fares for business travel when they're available.

Thats the really crappy part... some shortsighted travel policies just go for cheapest without caring about the side effects such as no refunds or changes at all.

I can certainly see this causing more grief for GAs when a family of 3+ shows up without assigned seats, or seats spread out with children isolated (essentially becoming a UM) and a full plane. Has the potential to be a mess with pax not wanting to give up their seat and get relocated to someplace worse to allow a family to all sit together.