Basic Economy airline experience

[gcgang]

This is one example of why I hope to never fly coach ever again.... the pointy end of the plane was often blissful paradise compared to the chaos in the back....I totally understand others not wanting to pay the "criminal margins" of the premium cabins. We just consider it an expensive indulgence. There's other areas where we pinch those pennies.

+1

The amount extra we pay is awful good wages to pass up, but then, we're FIREd, we don't need no stinkin' wages.

 

[audreyh1]

+1

The amount extra we pay is awful good wages to pass up, but then, we're FIREd, we don't need no stinkin' wages.

That's what it's come down to, I'm afraid.

Got used to being up front. Still under budget (knock on wood!), so not regretting it.

The crazy thing is, prices vary so much that you can snag premium cabin for fairly low markup if you keep an eye out - thanks google flights.

 

[RunningBum]

That's what it's come down to, I'm afraid.

Got used to being up front. Still under budget, so not regretting it. (knock on wood!)

The crazy thing is, prices vary so much that you can snag premium cabin for fairly low markup if you keep an eye out - thanks google flights.

That's where I'm at, and I always look at the price for going premium now. In this case it was just way too much.

 

[Nemo2]

You wouldn't believe the good service those with mobility issues get.

Sometimes, when my hands are full, DW will hold my cane.....in those instances the offers of assistance are fast and widespread.

Me? when I'm holding it, it's "Git outta de way granpaw!"

 

[Scrapr]

. Also, I spoiled DW over the years; even if I decided to go coach, I'b back there all alone.

I accidently booked Mrs scrapr in First Class on a long flight. I was using miles to go to a convention. She was undecided so i put her on and saved as a draft or whatever. She finally says no I don't want to go to your stupid truck show. I'm like great! I'm booking first class baby! I forgot to take her off the reservation. I look down at the bottom as it's all booked and say I should have a lot more miles than that left.

Now she won't fly in the back anymore

 

[DrRoy]

We won't fly basic economy.

+1. We always have a good bit of carry-on and I want to take advantage of our group 1 boarding on Delta. I insist on having a roller bag with a day or two's worth of stuff with me, and I also will not check my photography equipment.

 

[Aerides]

I also won't even look at basic economy. In my last few years of business travel I learned to pay 5 days in a carry on, after having my checked luggage not show up once. As bad as that was missing my "stuff" for a business trip, I never want to have that ruin a vacation.

 

[marko]

During my work life, I flew millions of miles 'up front'. (First on Singapore Air is the next best thing to flying private!)

Upon RE we tried coach but decided that this is an area to 'blow that dough' and sit in First Particularly on an overseas trip it makes all the difference.

In February, I was able to fly back from FLL to BOS in First with Delta for about $80 less than a coach seat on JetBlue. Go figure.

 

[athena53]

Upon RE we tried coach but decided that this is an area to 'blow that dough' and sit in First Particularly on an overseas trip it makes all the difference.

While I totally agree with you on the long hauls, I do fly Coach within the US, but draw the line at "Economy Coach". I like my Window seat, I like priority boarding and I like being able to carry on a reasonable bag. I'm willing to pay for Priority Boarding and seat selection if I have to, although I have Lifetime Gold on AA so that comes with some perks they haven't totally whittled away.

On my trip to India in March I had enough miles to fly Business Class for all but the leg home from London. I paid extra to choose a seat in Coach from LHR-DFW that was right behind the bulkhead row and had no seat in front of it. Well worth the extra cost.

 

[Sojourner]

I also won't even look at basic economy. In my last few years of business travel I learned to pay 5 days in a carry on, after having my checked luggage not show up once. As bad as that was missing my "stuff" for a business trip, I never want to have that ruin a vacation.

I'm starting to feel this way, too. I noticed recently that United has some really draconian "basic economy" rules, like you can't even bring a normal-sized carry-on bag to put into the overhead bin! That's a complete deal breaker for me in most situations. I pretty much only book basic economy (on Delta, since I have one of their Gold SkyMiles AmEx cards) when it's substantially cheaper than any other alternative and I'm 99% sure I'll be on the plane when it takes off.

 

[tmm99]

I just checked the price for first class from Toronto to Tokyo and the price went from around $1,400 to 19K. Wow, I'd rather buy a brand new compact car than flying first class from Toronto to Tokyo RT just once. I may do business class maybe once in a blue moon (4X to 5X economy. I've done it using miles, and also paying a few hundred dollars added to miles...). I did Premium Economy last time and I liked it well enough, except that it had a fixed (non-movable) seat armrest in the middle. The last flight to Tokyo was only about 10% full (right before Golden Week) and a lot of passengers in Economy had 4 seats to themselves lying flat on their back sleeping while I had just one seat although the next seat was open because of the armrest that would not go up.

 

[RunningBum]

I'm starting to feel this way, too. I noticed recently that United has some really draconian "basic economy" rules, like you can't even bring a normal-sized carry-on bag to put into the overhead bin! That's a complete deal breaker for me in most situations. I pretty much only book basic economy (on Delta, since I have one of their Gold SkyMiles AmEx cards) when it's substantially cheaper than any other alternative and I'm 99% sure I'll be on the plane when it takes off.

I don't really see anything draconian about it. There simply isn't enough room overhead on many planes, and quite often the last people on wind up having to check their bags. This just gives people a chance to have a cheaper fare, and in return they know in advance they won't be able to carry on anything that won't fit under their seat. That seems better than having a random chance of getting your bag taken away.

 

[RunningBum]

Threadjacking my own thread, how about rental cars? Do you look for the cheapest deals, or stick with a major company even if it's a few bucks more?

I have Hertz Gold from my working days, and I've been able to keep it and still get a discount rate with it. It usually brings the rate down close enough, and I can often skip the counter, or at least get the quick Gold line, and be on my way quickly. No paperwork, no upsells, no surprises. On the last trip, I did have to go to the counter and the regular line was about 10-12 deep, and the Gold counter person was helping someone who apparently didn't have a reservation. She looked at me, asked if I was Gold, then my name, and she turned and grabbed my envelope and keys and I was out of there within a minute. I've almost always used Hertz in the last 5 years.

 

[audreyh1]

I just checked the price for first class from Toronto to Tokyo and the price went from around $1,400 to 19K. Wow, I'd rather buy a brand new compact car than flying first class from Toronto to Tokyo RT just once. I may do business class maybe once in a blue moon (4X to 5X economy. I've done it using miles, and also paying a few hundred dollars added to miles...). I did Premium Economy last time and I liked it well enough, except that it had a fixed (non-movable) seat armrest in the middle. The last flight to Tokyo was only about 10% full (right before Golden Week) and a lot of passengers in Economy had 4 seats to themselves lying flat on their back sleeping while I had just one seat although the next seat was open because of the armrest that would not go up.

It’s not always a ratio like that. Sometimes you can find overseas first class for 2.5x economy, and domestic first class for less than 2x.

 

[hesperus]

I wonder if I just got super lucky with seats, or if basic economy really isn't that bad.

Honestly, I think you got lucky. I also dislike the experience of airports, parking, tight seating, etc... I don't fly much, but whenever I have to, I fly business or first now.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Before they made the seats so small and I got older I never had to grab the seat in front of me to get out but unfortunately I do now.

 

[mpeirce]

Threadjacking my own thread, how about rental cars? Do you look for the cheapest deals, or stick with a major company even if it's a few bucks more?

If it's available at the location I use Sixt and get a Mercedes or Audi. They have some pretty good deals actually.

If no Sixt, I use the Costco travel website and get the best deal there for as big a car as I need (sometimes I need to seat 2, sometimes 6).

When I was w*rking the company used Hertz and frankly I can see no real difference between them and the others. With all of them it's usually easy to pick up and drop off - and occasionally there's a glitch. Hertz wasn't any better.

 

[athena53]

I just checked the price for first class from Toronto to Tokyo and the price went from around $1,400 to 19K. Wow, I'd rather buy a brand new compact car than flying first class from Toronto to Tokyo RT just once.

That's why Australia and NZ are off my bucket list. I won't endure Coach for that long and I won't pay what they want for Business Class (although it wasn't quite as bad as $19,000 last time I checked). Not a good use of my travel dollars. My brother, who racks up a lot of mile flying for his employer, is bringing my SIL to a conference in Australia and it's costing him 400,000 FF miles in Business Class! Extortion, pure and simple.

 

[mpeirce]

That's why Australia and NZ are off my bucket list. I won't endure Coach for that long and I won't pay what they want for Business Class (although it wasn't quite as bad as $19,000 last time I checked).

I got an email last week from United saying they had a "big sale" on Business Class to Sydney. Looked like in the $4K's per person if you book two seats. Not bad really - but our travel for this year is all booked.

https://flights.united.com/en-us/business-sale-to-sydney

 

[athena53]

I got an email last week from United saying they had a "big sale" on Business Class to Sydney. Looked like in the $4K's per person if you book two seats. Not bad really - but our travel for this year is all booked.

Thanks- I travel solo, which has some disadvantages when it comes to costs.

I was hoping to get to Australia in early November, 2019, when my professional society is meeting in Honolulu. I'm more likely to include a 7-day cruise with UnCruise between Honolulu and Molokai instead before or after the meeting. That cruise, as a Single but after some discounts since I've taken 3 cruises with them already, will likely cost about the same as Business Class airfare between HNL and SYD based on 2018 pricing. I'd rather pay for snorkeling and kayaking than flying!

 

[foxfirev5]

After travelling full time for 36 years, travel has no appeal just for the sake of travel. Basic economy is not a consideration. Likewise long road trips are an ordeal.

We pick where we want to go and spend what it takes to meet our wants.

Nothing worse than playing the travel/ lodging lottery to get what you want. After all we're FI, right?

 

[rodi]

Basic economy is usually not that much cheaper than regular economy. Some airlines don't allow carry on luggage in basic... and all of them restrict seat assignments. I accidentally booked a red eye that was basic economy from SAN to JFK.... The cost to upgrade to premium economy was the same cost as checking a bag... so I did that - got my carry on covered and got extra leg room.

I'm flying regular economy in a few weeks. I'm good at travelling light - but do need more than a book bag for a week of travel. We're returning in premium (DH and I) because there was only 1 seat that wasn't a middle seat in regular economy - I put my sons in adjacent window/middle, and upgrade DH and I to premium. I'm sure the kid that ends up in the middle seat will be grumpy. (Son's are 6'4" and 6'2".)

I stopped flying Allegient because their whole model is basic economy. Pay for seat assignments. (Including families traveling with small children!!!!!) Pay for carry on luggage. Pay more for checked luggage. Pay for water on the flight. Pay to use the bathroom (ok... not yet - but I think they are considering it.) Add to that they regularly cancel flights leaving people stranded.... I won't buy tickets on Allegiant again.

 

[Red Badger]

Funny (I think) road warrior story from years gone by....

Like a lot of road warrior travel, it was just another flight from God knows where, going to where God doesn't care. Anyway, we're boarding, and as a newly minted road warrior, I''m in the ghetto, but an exit row seat (poor man's first class). As the plane is filling up, there's 3 guys in one row and they can't fit in their seats!!! All three are big guys in all dimensions (tall AND fat, er, sorry "big boned"). The plane is packed and no one wants to swap seats - flight attendants were trying to get a swap in middle seat... F that for me. Anyway, the captain had to get involved as well as the gate agent. They finally found a sucker (customer), but it took one of those comps like when ya get bumped (~$200 or so voucher).

Another reason I prefer the pointy end of the plane.

 

[tmm99]

It’s not always a ratio like that. Sometimes you can find overseas first class for 2.5x economy, and domestic first class for less than 2x.

Really. Maybe there is still some hope for me then.

 

[marko]

Really. Maybe there is still some hope for me then.

It’s not always a ratio like that. Sometimes you can find overseas first class for 2.5x economy, and domestic first class for less than 2x.

As I mentioned earlier in this thread, on my most recent flight from Fort Lauderdale to Boston, First on Delta was about $80 cheaper than coach on JetBlue.