basic economy

Tag Archives for basic economy.

American Airlines Cut Basic Economy Miles To Zero — Now It Is Saving Pennies To Lose Credit Card Customers

Dec 27 2025

American Airlines already cut basic economy mileage earning to zero, and it is a classic penny-wise move with a bigger hidden cost. The airline is giving up the cheapest hook it has to get price-sensitive flyers into AAdvantage and, ultimately, into its credit card funnel—the business that actually drives profits.

Continue Reading »

American Airlines Quietly Made Basic Economy Worth Zero Miles — Starting Today, Without Notice

Dec 17 2025

American just flipped basic economy with no warning: starting today those tickets earn zero AAdvantage miles, zero Loyalty Points, and no status credit for flying. It’s a sharp break from how American has used basic economy as the on-ramp into AAdvantage—and it’s likely to push price-sensitive flyers to stop engaging with the program entirely.

Continue Reading »

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.

Continue Reading »

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.

Continue Reading »