4 things I think about when booking basic economy

31.08.2024 - 00:13 / thepointsguy.com

As most frequent travelers know, basic economy has evolved quite significantly since airlines began adding the low-cost fare option over the course of the last decade.

Airlines originally saw basic economy as a way to compete with low-cost carriers, and the general principle has remained pretty consistent. You pay a lower ticket price than you would for a main cabin ticket, but you'll lose some services — or, at least, lose complimentary access to them.

However, airlines have routinely tweaked what is and is not included with a basic economy fare, as well as what you can add for a fee after choosing the lower-priced ticket.

There have been some positive changes in 2024. Most recently, United Airlines finally started allowing passengers flying on a no-frills ticket to check in for their flight online. These travelers couldn't do so previously.

Basic economy policies differ from one airline to another, and they've evolved through time. So, I personally find it helpful to have a mental checklist of factors to consider when evaluating whether it's worth saving a little money (or sometimes quite a bit) by booking a basic economy ticket ... or if a full-fare economy ticket is the better option.

Below are the top factors I consider.

This is a deal breaker for a lot of travelers wary of checking a bag.

Historically, a common basic economy policy among airlines has been restricting full-size carry-on bags and overhead bin access. This means the only bag you can bring on board for free is a personal item that fits under the seat.

Like most travelers, a small backpack typically isn't going to cut it for me — at least, on most trips.

For that reason, basic economy is usually a no-go for me on airlines where the basic fare restricts overhead bin access. However, I might re-evaluate that stance if I have a credit card or elite status that gets me a free checked bag or allows me to skirt the basic bag restriction altogether.

Fortunately, these types of carry-on bag restrictions are far less common on the biggest network airlines than they were just a few years ago.

Among the Big Three legacy airlines — American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines — only United restricts complimentary overhead bin access on basic fares. Even JetBlue recently announced it would end the restrictive policy on its Blue Basic fares.

You will still find these policies in place on the most basic fares for nearly all of the budget airlines, though.

At the other end of the spectrum, Southwest Airlines remains the most lenient U.S. airline across the board when it comes to bags. The carrier allows two free checked bags and free full-size carry-ons for every passenger.

Related: Southwest Rapid Rewards: Complete guide to earning,