The Starwood Preferred Guest credit card, issued by American Express, has long been the darling of the miles-and-points set. But with the pending merger of Starwood with Marriott, the card’s future is in doubt.
27.07.2023 - 18:34 / smartertravel.com / Tim Winship
If so-called basic economy fares aren’t yet a pervasive fact of travel life, they soon will be.
The stripped-down fares, which Spirit famously refers to as Bare Fares, are designed to appeal to the most price-sensitive consumers, who are willing to forego such niceties as seat selection, boarding priority, changeable tickets, and so on in exchange for rock-bottom prices.
Among the full-service carriers, Delta was the first to introduce what it called Basic Economy, citing the need to compete with the likes of Spirit and Frontier. While Delta initially only offered them in very few markets, today they are much more widely available.
Related:Delta’s Premium Economy, Coming in 2017. The Real Deal?American and United have been slower to bring unbundled fares to market, but both recently signaled their intentions to do so early in 2017. And today, for the first time, United provided details of its new fares.
As did Delta, United is promoting its Basic Economy fares as providing “more choice for customers”:
But oh, those differences! Here’s a partial list of what Basic Economy passengers don’t get:
No advance seat assignments Carry-on bags limited to one “personal item” (waived for elites) No ticket changes No elite-qualifying miles, segments, or dollars No upgradesNotably, United’s basic fares are even more basic than Delta’s, which don’t restrict carry-ons or elite miles. Although it seems patently unfair, the loss of elite miles is probably a non-issue for most of the targeted customers. But just one small carry-on? That’s harsh, and clearly designed to force passengers to pay to check their bags. Which will offset at least some of the savings that basic fares are supposed to offer.
United has taken bare fares beyond bare; their new Basic Economy product should be called Nasty Fares.
Reader Reality Check
Has United taken unbundling too far?
More from SmarterTravel: Will Alaska Airlines Downgrade Its Mileage Program? $15 for 4 Extra Inches of Legroom? Yes, Please! Do We Need Kids-Free Seating on U.S. Airlines?After 20 years working in the travel industry, and 15 years writing about it, Tim Winship knows a thing or two about travel. Follow him on Twitter @twinship.
We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.
The Starwood Preferred Guest credit card, issued by American Express, has long been the darling of the miles-and-points set. But with the pending merger of Starwood with Marriott, the card’s future is in doubt.
It’s been awhile since Hyatt’s last systemwide bonus promotion. That will be remedied beginning next month, with a new offer that, at least for high-frequency travelers, will have been well worth the wait.
In a first for a U.S. airline loyalty program, Alaska Airlines is offering members of its Mileage Plan program the option to redeem miles to pay for TSA PreCheck service.
There’s a storm brewing in the rarefied air occupied by the priciest of the travel-rewards cards.
In February, when Starbucks announced it was converting its frequent-drinker program to a revenue-based scheme, there was a collective groan from the caffeinated crowd. As with similar conversions by the major airlines, Starbucks’ new earning rules would mean fewer rewards for most customers.
Until yesterday, American Airlines customers dismayed at the airline’s August 1 pivot to a spend-based mileage program had a fallback option: Earn miles for their American flights in Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan program, which still awards miles the old-fashioned way, according to the distance flown.
Tickets go on sale today from a brand-new airline.
Enter the Liberty Richter “Kitchens of India” sweepstakes by June 15, 2016, for a chance to win the grand prize: a six-day trip for two to New Delhi, India, including air, transfers, and hotel.
Could you justify spending $35,000 for a year’s worth of unlimited business-class flights between New York and London or Paris? Probably not. But if so, La Compagnie has a deal for you.
By traditional measures, Alaska Airlines is a carrier of decidedly modest size, even after its acquisition of Virgin America. Its own flight network is small, compared to those of American, Delta, and United. And it’s not a member of one of the three global airline alliances.
On Friday evening—traditional timing for bad-news announcements that companies hope will go unnoticed by the public and unreported by the media—American published the new mileage-earning rates, effective from August 1, for travel on AAdvantage partner airlines.
Enter the Babich Wines “Trip to New Zealand” sweepstakes by August 31, 2016, for a chance to win the grand prize: a seven-night trip for two to New Zealand, including air to and within New Zealand; hotels in Auckland, Marlborough, and Queenstown; choice of activities; and a NZD$1,000 gift card.