American Airlines Basic Economy: What You Get & How to Beat It

Whether you're planning a domestic trip or flying internationally, basic economy fares have become nearly unavoidable. But every airline handles these no-frills fares a bit differently.

American Airlines' basic economy comes with some serious restrictions … and if you're not careful, you might end up in one of these seats unknowingly. 

Like many airlines, the American Airlines basic economy fare is the carrier's lowest-priced fare class. But the lower price comes at a cost: You give up free seat selection, earning some (though not all) American AAdvantage miles, and most importantly, the ability to change or cancel your ticket for free if plans change – or if prices drop. 

But just how bad are these restrictions? Let's take a deep dive into what you get and don't get when flying on an American Airlines basic economy ticket.

What You Get with Basic Economy

When American Airlines first rolled out its basic economy offering years back, it was among the worst in the skies.

It was so restrictive that, like United basic economy, you couldn't even bring a carry-on bag on board with you – just a backpack. And there was no way to pick a seat – even for a fee.

Luckily, American relaxed its carry-on baggage restriction years ago, allowing travelers to stow a bag overhead when buying basic economy tickets. And while AA has made a handful of improvements to its basic economy fares, there have been some other recent changes that aren't so good.

Here's a current look at what you get with an AA basic economy ticket:

• Baggage: Basic economy includes a carry-on bag and personal item for free; $35 each way for a checked bag when you pay online – or $75 each way to Europe and Asia. Basic economy tickets purchased on or after Nov. 13, 2024, include one free checked bag for flights to Australia and New Zealand.
• Seat Selection: Available for a fee at time of booking, typically starting at $10 each way. Otherwise, seats are automatically assigned for free at check-in.
• Boarding: Final boarding group (Group 9).
• Earning AAdvantage Miles: Yes, you will earn American Airlines AAdvantage award miles at a rate of 2x miles per dollar, which is significantly less when compared to earning at least 5x points per dollar with an AA main cabin economy fare.
• Earning Status: Yes, but you'll only earn 2x Loyalty Points per dollar compared to at least 5x points per dollar with a main cabin economy fare.
• Upgrades: Yes, American basic economy fares are eligible for paid upgrades as well as complimentary upgrades with AAdvantage elite status.
• Ticket Changes and Cancellation: You can only cancel for a full refund within 24 hours of booking. Otherwise, AAdvantage members who book basic economy can cancel roundtrip domestic flights for a credit, minus a $99 fee – to qualify, your AAdvantage number must be in your reservation. International basic economy fares cannot be canceled, period.

When choosing one of these fares, American practically begs you to skip it and instead opt for a standard main cabin fare. And while the price tag can vary, you can typically count on paying an additional $35 each way to avoid basic economy on a domestic flight – and much, much more when traveling internationally.

This kind of upsell effort is common across the major airlines: The entire point is to draw you in with a cheaper fare, then hit you with a bunch of restrictions designed to upsell you to a pricier main cabin economy fare. But AA takes things a step further by initially hiding these bare-bones fares under the cover of a regular “Main” cabin ticket in its search results online at AA.com and on its smartphone app.

So while you'll initially see a $337 price tag on this roundtrip flight from Phoenix (PHX) to Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) explicitly labeled as a main cabin ticket, click through and you'll see that's for an American Airlines basic economy fare – that better main cabin fare actually costs another $50.

On the bright side, American has made basic economy slightly less painful over the years by allowing travelers to purchase a seat assignment right away. Previously, you had to wait until seven days before your flight. Now, you can pay up for a seat assignment when you're booking your flight. 

And for years, American basic fares were among the worst because they could not be changed nor canceled, period. They've gotten some flexibility back thanks to recent changes from AA, but with some major caveats:

• Only domestic basic economy fares qualify for cancellations. International fares still cannot be canceled for a travel credit
• You must have booked with your AAdvantage account directly through American – not through a third-party site or travel platform
• You'll forfeit $99. So if you paid $299 for a roundtrip basic economy ticket to Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), you'll only get a $200 travel credit if you cancel

Read more: What You Get with Basic Economy Fares (& Why You Should Avoid Them)

How to Beat Basic Economy

Basic economy is a pain no matter what airline you're flying. But flying American Airlines basic economy can be a little less painful with the right strategies – and the right cards in your wallet.

Get a Free Checked Bag and Priority Boarding with a Co-Branded Credit Card

Co-branded airline credit cards can be a powerful weapon to beat basic economy on any carrier. And with American, you’ve got two good options that give you nearly identical benefits.

The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® and the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® both get you a free checked bag on any domestic AA flight – along with up to four other travelers booked on the same itinerary. And unlike some other airline co-branded cards, you don’t need to actually pay for your flight with the card to get the benefit. It automatically applies once the card is attached to your AAdvantage account.

But let us stress: This free baggage benefit only applies to domestic flights.

That’s huge, as checked bags cost at least $35 each way for domestic flights within the U.S. The Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard‘s annual fee of $99 is waived for the first year, which means you have a full year to take advantage of free baggage before paying a single annual fee.

Read our full review of the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard!

Learn more about the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® (Full disclosure, this is not an affiliate link).

The AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard’s annual fee of $99 isn’t waived for the first year. But even at that price, it could pay for itself after checking bags on just two round-trip flights each year.

Read our full review of the AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard!

Learn more about the Barclays AAdvantage World Elite MasterCard (Full disclosure, this is a personal referral link).

But if you’re living the carry-on life, you may need overhead bin space, too. And considering basic economy fares on American board in the final Group 9, there’s no guarantee you’ll get it. Both co-branded cards also move you all the way up to Group 5, even when flying basic economy.

Pay For a Seat Assignment

American allows even basic economy flyers to pay extra for a seat, starting right when you book your flights. The American Airlines seat selection fee will vary wildly by flight, but at times they can be quite reasonable. The fee for a seat typically starts at $10 or $12 for a middle seat and just a few bucks more for an aisle or window seat. Seats closer to the front of the plane will generally cost more than those at the rear.

Just beware that if your basic economy fare isn’t a nonstop flight, you’ll have to pay separately for each segment of the trip.

And don’t count on getting a better seat for free by talking to a gate agent shortly before departure – a favorite trick among frequent flyers. You still have to pay up to move to a better, empty seat before boarding. Of course, this may vary by agent.

So if you want to ensure you're not stuck between strangers, your best bet is likely to pay up for a seat assignment right when you book – or long before your flight takes off.

Worried about sitting next to your children? American guarantees seats together, even with basic economy fares!

Or Get an Even Better Seat for Free

Feeling bold? You might be able to score an extra legroom seat for free.

Buying one of American's Main Cabin Extra seats – which typically come with an extra 3-4 inches of legroom – will generally cost you a lot more than your standard seat, at $40 or more each way. But a quirk in how American Airlines assigns these seats as its planes fills up could land you a spot there without paying a dime.

If you haven't already paid for a seat, American Airlines will automatically assign you one when you check in. And if no standard economy seats are left by the time you check in, American will put you in a Main Cabin Extra seat. See where we're going with this?

So by waiting to check in for your flight until the economy cabin is full, you can automatically be placed in a Main Cabin Extra seat for free. It's a bit of a gamble, and it certainly won't work every time – only when your flight is filling up. But it's worth trying out on your next American Airlines basic economy flight.

Read more on how patience can pay off with extra legroom when flying American basic economy.

Bottom Line

Basic economy has transformed the way airlines price their tickets. Offering these bare-bones fares allows American to compete with budget carriers on price while pitting flyers with new restrictions – largely in hopes that they’ll pay to upgrade.

Yes, these fares are a pain – and American Airlines is no exception. But with the right tools, credit cards, and knowledge, you can make them less painful and beat the worst of American Airlines basic economy fares.