basic economy

Search Results for "basic economy".

How The Grinch Stole Southwest: Expiring Flight Credits And No-Seat-Assignment Basic Economy Erase Its Core Advantage

Mar 11 2025

Between Alaska or JetBlue or even Delta, and Southwest, I had more confidence buying from Southwest. They’ve given up that advantage. But expiring flight credits is better for the balance sheet, since it writes off a liability, even though expiring flight credits is worse for incentivizing repeat business.

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Headquarters Rumor: Southwest Airlines Chairman’s Exit Paves Way For Basic Economy, Checked Bag Fees

southwest plane
Sep 10 2024

With greater Elliott sway, and Kelly leaving, rumors are swirling in Dallas that other changes pushed by Elliott will be implemented. We may or may not learn details at the airline’s investor day this month. Two major changes that are being widely discussed at headquarters are an anticipated end to free checked bags, and the introduction of basic economy.

Here’s what basic economy would look like if Southwest moves forward, I am told.

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Troubling: Starting Tuesday, United Airlines Requires $65 Pre-Authorization For Basic Economy Passengers To Check-In Online

airport boarding
Aug 02 2024

United Airlines offers less value on a basic economy ticket than competitors do. They don’t allow basic economy passengers to bring a regular carry-on bag on, and they haven’t allowed basic economy passengers to check in online, wasting passengers’ time. Fortunately they’re relaxing the online check-in rule but they’re doing it in a strange and troubling way.

Most people don’t realize that basic economy restrictions aren’t the same across airlines and that United Airlines offers much worse value than competitors.

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Southwest Launches Redeye Flights, Prepares For Assigned Premium Seats And Basic Economy

Jul 25 2024

They’re expected to offer extra legroom seats at the front of the cabin, in what’s being referred to as Love Cabin. These seats would be assigned. Southwest could offer blocked middle seats for sale in Love Cabin, along the lines of Frontier, where the airline sells a seat block to both the aisle and middle seat passenger as an option. And they’re preparing to increase fleet utilization – cheaper additional flying using current aircraft – by offering redeye flights for the first time. New union contracts now provide for redeye operations, and the airline no longer has to turn their systems off and on in a reset each night which required operations to halt.

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End Of An Era: How Southwest Airlines Plans To Handle Redeyes, Assigned Seats, Extra Legroom And Basic Economy

Jun 28 2024

The airline would certainly issue a denial because these plans aren’t finalized in the sense that they could change, timelines could shift, and they have not been announced yet. Announcements are expected at the airline’s fall Investor Day. Consider this a work in progress, though it’s expected that the final version will fall along these lines.

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