Basic Economy Fares—The Truth You Need to Know 

By Annette Cagle 

More and more airlines are introducing the Basic Economy Fares for both domestic and transatlantic routes. Although specific rules and restrictions vary by airline and routing, the Basic Economy Fares will always be the least expensive fare on the day you book your flight. However, know this, that in general:

  You will NOT be assigned a seat until after you check in, which means your seats will most likely be middle seats, and families may not be able to sit together.

  You may be charged for your carry on, you may be charged for your first checked bag. 

   You will NOT be eligible for a free upgrade and in many cases will not be able to purchase an upgrade.

At Brandywine Travel we prefer NOT to book you a Basic Economy Fare ticket, because we know from experience that our clients have been unhappy with the service they receive on that kind of a ticket. If you  book your tickets through an online travel agency, the lowest fare that we all instinctively are drawn to purchase will more than likely be a Basic Economy Fare. Check the restrictions before you purchase, and know exactly what your  are buying!    

Check the DELTA site for FAQs on the Basic Economy Fare
https://www.delta.com/…/faqs/planning-reservations-faqs.html

Check the UNITED web site for FAQs on the Basic Economy Fare: https://www.united.com/…/content/travel/…/basic-economy.aspx

Check the AMERICAN web site for more info on their Basic Economy: https://www.aa.com/…/tra…/experience/seats/basic-economy.jsp