It happens to the best of us: You find a good flight deal, but then find yourself waffling on which fare to book. Do you book the cheapest basic economy fare, or pay more to book main cabin, which comes with free seat assignment, free changes, and sometimes (depending on where you're flying), a free checked bag?
I've spent too much time staring at fares like these trying to make that exact decision, and if you're a cost-conscious traveler, I'm sure you have, too.
Airlines introduced these basic economy fares over the last decade to compete with ultra-low-cost carriers like Spirit and Frontier. From domestic flights to long-haul trips to Europe or even Australia, they're basically unavoidable now, and they've gotten even more restrictive over the years.
No matter which ticket you buy, you're getting a normal seat in the economy cabin. But there are some key differences between the two.
Basic economy is a bare-bones fare where you get a seat on the plane and a carry-on bag (unless you're flying United) but that's it. You can't pick your seat and critically, you can't change or cancel your flight without paying a fee or eating the cost of the ticket altogether.
Main cabin fares, on the other hand, are fare more inclusive. They come with free seat assignment, free changes and cancelation (meaning you can rebook if flight prices drop and get a credit or a voucher for the difference), and on most long-haul flights, you'll also get a free checked bag. On top of that, main cabin fares allow you to earn faster toward status, earn more miles, and access lounges on most major airlines, too.
On Delta, for instance, you won't earn SkyMiles on a basic economy fare, nor will the flight count towards earning Medallion status. And as of earlier this year, you can't get into Delta Sky Clubs with a basic economy ticket, even if you have lounge access through your credit card.
On its face, paying more to upgrade to main cabin may seem like a no-brainer. In fact, it's what we usually suggest our Thrifty Traveler Premium subscribers do when booking flights.
The problem is the gulf between the lowest basic economy fare and the main cabin fare is widening. What was once a flat, $120 extra roundtrip to bump up to a standard main cabin fare on long-haul flights across the Atlantic has steadily risen as travel demand soared since the pandemic.
Now, major airlines are now charging an additional $200 (and in some cases, $220 or more) to avoid basic economy flying to Europe.
So while that $605 basic fare to Iceland seems like the steal of the century, to pick your seat on that plane, get a free bag, and have any flexibility, you're looking at $220 more roundtrip!
Especially when airlines run sales or promotions, it's not unusually to see them slash the basic economy rate, while the price main cabin remains unchanged. It happens on domestic flights, too, like with these recent Alaska Airlines fares.
This Alaska sale offered some mind-blowing sub-$100 roundtrip fares to Seattle (SEA), including this cheap fare from Minneapolis (MSP). Typically, you can expect to pay around $60 more to avoid basic economy, but in this case, the upgrade to main cabin was more than the cost of the cheapest ticket!
We've seen even more egregious examples on sales to Hawaii, Europe, and other popular destinations worldwide. Sometimes, the airlines correct these fares in time, but sometimes they don't.
If you find yourself waffling over booking main cabin or basic economy, use these questions to determine what makes the most sense for you.
How Much are You Saving?
The number one reason to book a basic economy ticket over main cabin is because the price is just too good. If you can find something in the $300s roundtrip to Europe, for example, it might be worth it to snag the cheapest ticket.
Here's the perfect example. A few months ago, we found this insane mistake fare flying to Dublin (DUB) this summer. It was one of the best deals we've ever seen.
The roundtrip airfare from Minneapolis to Dublin (DUB) clocked in at $135! On this one, it was about $200 more to book a main cabin ticket, making it about $300 roundtrip. That's not bad, but considering the main cabin upcharge was more than the cost of the initial ticket, I probably would have just bought the cheapest fare and rolled the dice on things like the ability to make changes.
Plus, on a fare like this, you can always purchase a seat assignment – which might still be less than the cost to upgrade if you don't care about any of the other main cabin benefits. It's exactly what our Marketing Manager Amber did when she booked this and took a dream trip to Ireland earlier this year!
Our advice: Keep an eye on that upcharge. If you're going to pay a considerable percentage of the basic economy price to upgrade to main cabin, it might not be worth it to you.
Flexibility: Will You Need to Make Changes?
When you book cheap flights like the one we showed above, you should definitely keep an eye on the cancellation fees for you basic ticket.
On Delta, for instance, the airline charges a blanket $199 fee to change or cancel your basic economy ticket – which is given back as an e-credit minus that $199.
On American, though, you can only cancel domestic basic economy tickets and get an e-credit, minus a $99 fee. You cannot change the ticket – rather you have to cancel, eat the $99 fee, and then rebook the flight you actually want. And that's only if you're an AAdvantage member (which you should be – it's free to sign up.)
Doing the math here is important, but there's another crucial consideration. If you know you're going to take the flight no matter what, then what's the hurt in booking the cheapest fare?
Say you booked a trip for just a few weeks from now, or you snagged some last-minute tickets to go see the Eras Tour. You have the Taylor Swift tickets, so you're not going to cancel now! Just book the cheapest fare and take your flight.
Main cabin fares give you peace of mind, though. That's the beauty of them. If you're booking more than two or three months out, I almost always opt for the flexible fare. Life throws too many things at all of us to stress about your non-changeable, non-refundable ticket.
And if you're worried prices might drop after you book, buying a main cabin fare from the get-go means you can rebook your flight at the lower price and pocket the difference as a travel credit or voucher!
Of course, travelers who book any fare – including basic economy – are protected by 24-hour rule. That law guarantees travelers can cancel their flights within 24 hours of booking and get a full refund, no questions asked. It's the perfect insurance policy for booking basic economy when you see a good deal. But if you opt for the main cabin, you are protected long-term, too.
Do You Care Where You Sit?
If you're traveling with someone else or you really want to make sure you don't get stuck with a middle seat, getting to choose your seat right at booking can be worth paying for main cabin.
With most basic economy tickets, unless you pay up, you can't pick your seat until check-in, meaning you'll be stuck choosing from whichever seats are left. On emptier flights, you could end up with a nice aisle or window seat, or even a row all to yourself on a basic economy ticket. But you can't count on it. You might also be smushed in between two strangers for 10+ hours.
Again, main cabin offers peace of mind, here. If you know you'll be most comfortable in an aisle or window or you need to be next to someone you're traveling with, opt for main cabin.
What Bags are You Bringing?
If you're a carry-on only kind of traveler, you're going to have your pick of fares. Even with a basic economy ticket, you'll almost always get at least a carry-on bag no matter where you're flying. Only United restricts basic economy flyers from brinigng a free carry-on bag on domestic flights.
Read next: How To Pack in a Carry-On Bag for Every Trip
For domestic flights, main cabin fares don't include anything other than a carry-on, though. So if you want a checked bag, you're going to pay for it either way, unless you hold an airline credit card that comes with free checked bags on every flight.
But if you're crossing an ocean or flying long-haul, most main cabin fares now include a free checked bag!
Here's an American Airlines flight from New York (JFK) to Paris (CDG), for example. American's upcharge on these fares are only $180 and in addition to free seat assignment and free changes, they also include a free checked bag each way.
For reference, to book a roundtrip checked bag on these basic economy fares, you're looking at $75 each way, or $150 roundtrip. Considering everything else you get with a main cabin ticket, that upcharge is easily worth it if you're checking a bag.
Read our guide to American Basic Economy!
Loyalty: Status, Lounges, Upgrades & More
Finally, for travelers interested in things like earning status, using your lounge access, or upgrading your seat, airlines are driving more and more travelers to main cabin.
On Delta, for instance, even if you have Delta SkyClub access through a credit card, you can't get into those lounges on a basic economy ticket anymore.
Basic economy tickets also can't be upgraded if you want to find a comfier seat. If that's important to you, book the higher fare. Travelers love to upgrade themselves into a fancy seat when these in-app upgrades get cheap. Upgrades to Delta One business class to Europe or Asia, for example, are as cheap as we've ever seen them lately, but you'll have to book main cabin or higher to receive one of these offers.
With most airlines, you won't earn as many miles or credit towards status flying basic economy. For example, American Airlines basic economy tickets only earn 2x AA miles, compared to 5x miles you earn with a main cabin (or higher) ticket.
Delta is even more restrictive: Basic economy tickets no longer earn SkyMiles or even Medallion Qualifying Dollars. If you're earning towards Delta status or want to keep piling up SkyMiles, grab the higher fare instead.
Bottom Line
It's harder than ever to decide between basic economy and main cabin, but if you follow this guide, it might make your decision for you.
Basic economy fares are getting cheaper while the difference between them and main cabin fares is growing. So it's more important than ever to figure out why you're booking the fare you are before your next trip.