As we headed home (California, my family) for the holidays, I had the brilliant idea to save a few bucks and take advantage of some cancelled flight credits to fly on United. It was the cheapest Christmas flights with halfway decent schedule, single connection. Really how bad can Basic Economy be, right?
How different can the experience be?
While basic economy doesn’t have to be terrible, it’s essentially the opposite of the experiences you want in a flying experience.
- You’re typically in the worst seats, with limited or no ability to select.
- You want carry on bags? Better pony up.
- You spend extra time waiting. Last to board.
- Airlines find additional ways to make the experience difficult. Need a boarding pass? Go to a kiosk. Think you’ll get airline perks for being loyal? Forget lounge access.
The truth is it’s an actually quite a smart strategy for airlines. When shopping for flights (Google Flights, Expedia, etc.), that headline price is what folks see and compare. With budget airlines like JetBlue and Spirit throwing cheap fares out without basic necessities included, it makes those competitor flights appear comparatively better. Once they have the hook in you, there are bountiful opportunities to upsell. Need a bag? Want to sit together? Pay.
This United Basic Economy flight to California
The honest truth is it’s no worse than we expected. Airline travel is usually mediocre, so what’s a little extra hassle to save some money? That said, it certainly does make a generally unpleasant experience even worse.
- We had to check a bag – $40 each way because roller carry-ones are no-go as a “personal item”. Even our personal items were technically oversized, but thankfully weren’t hassled.
- Our first flight we didn’t sit together – We could have paid to upgrade, but when checking in that was $80+ for the flight we were separated.
- Our second flight we’re in no-recline bulkhead seats – How much does 3 inches of lean back REALLY matter? I was certainly going to be uncomfortable either way, but this doesn’t help.
- We boarded in the last group – Honestly this one doesn’t bug me as we don’t have rollers requiring overhead space. We even snuck our personal items up top so we had some more leg room.
Ultimately, are we making it there, on time? Yes. Is it the absolute most budget experience you could expect? Mmhmm. Do we still get the same mediocre airplane snacks and extra-carbonated sodas? Sure do. Would I do it again? Almost certainly.
BUT it doesn’t have to be quite this bad…
Typically loyalty & credit card perks for boarding and bag benefits apply even for Basic Economy. This means those who hold Delta (AMEX), United (Chase), or American Airlines (Citi) card typically get free checked bags, free carry-on bags, and earlier boarding group. That effectively makes Basic Economy the same as Economy, so meaningfully cheaper. There are still some restrictions applied to make it worthwhile, things like no miles earned on tickets (American) and no lounge access (Delta), but I’d argue the worst of the inconveniences go away.
My overall take is not to shy away from the cheaper flights, but also know fully what you’re getting yourself into. And if you have a “loyal” airline and a card with perks, absolutely Basic Economy is the way to go.
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