With discount airlines expanding and competing on more of their routes, how can legacy carriers stay competitive? Their latest bid to stay ahead of discount airlines is to lower fares, including the controversial Basic Economy fares, and price-matching competitors. [More]
Basic Economy
Don’t Let The Basic Economy Gate-Service Fee Catch You By Surprise
By 9.13.17
This year, airlines have introduced a new kind of fare, the “Basic Economy” ticket. Passengers with this ticket type board last and, on some airlines, only get to bring one carry-on item on board, paying the same fees as Economy travelers to check other luggage. Some passengers on United or American who didn’t read the fine print are getting hit with fees for bringing extra carry-on bags in addition to the fees for gate-checking those bags. [More]
How To Make Sure You Don’t Accidentally Buy United’s Crappy “Basic Economy” Tickets
By 6.22.17
When searching for the best fare on a flight, it’s not uncommon for customers to peruse a third-party travel site like Expedia or Priceline and jump at the lowest number they see associated with a flight. But some United Airlines passengers say this tried-and-true method has resulted in the unexpected purchase of a no-frills Basic Economy ticket. [More]
American Airlines’ “Simplified” Boarding Process Now Has 9 Boarding Groups
By 2.24.17
In an attempt to better serve passengers and, you know, get things moving, airlines have been revamping their boarding processes in recent years, from Delta Air Lines employees pre-load carry-on bags to Southwest’s changes to family boarding. American will soon debut its proposed solution to this problem, by increasing the number of boarding groups to nine.
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American Airlines Unveils Routes For Basic Economy Fares
By 2.21.17
A few weeks back, American Airlines said it would soon begin offering a new “Basic Economy” fare that offers discounts in exchange for travelers giving up their ability to choose a seat or use the overhead bins. Now the airline has begun selling these lower-cost tickets on certain routes, at a savings of around $20 per leg of a flight. [More]
Southwest Airlines Has No Plans For No-Frills Basic Economy
By 1.27.17
Not that long ago, Southwest Airlines was considered a relatively no-frills airline, at least when compared to the other major carriers. Then all the competition started charging for checked bags, while Southwest says it’s given “no thought whatsoever” to the idea. The new trend among the big airlines is to offer “Basic Economy” fares that won’t even let you use the overhead storage bin, but Southwest says it won’t go this route either. [More]
Senator Takes Aim At American Airlines For Charging Extra For Access To Overhead Bins
By 1.23.17
Odds are, if an airline finds a way to charge travelers yet another add-on fee, New York Sen. Charles Schumer will be close behind, expressing his displeasure. This time, the lawmaker has American Airlines’s new Basic Economy fare in his sights. [More]
Senator Calls On Airlines To Not Charge Extra For Access To Overhead Bins
By 12.5.16
Should fliers have to pay to access the overhead bin on their flights? One lawmaker doesn’t think so, and wants United Airlines to ditch a new lower-cost fare option that limits travelers to exactly one small carry-on item that fits under their seat. [More]
Delta Air Lines Takes Page From Spirit & Frontier, Offers No-Frills Ticketing Option
By 11.18.14
Is Delta Air Lines gunning for a piece of the bare-bones ticket business other “low-cost” carriers like Frontier and Spirit offer? It sure looks that way after the airline unveiled plans to expand its stripped-down fare option. [More]
