Basic economy – the no-frills fare class Delta introduced more than a decade ago to compete with ultra-low-cost carriers – can be a thorn in the side of travelers who value things like flexibility and the ability to pick a seat before they fly.
I, for one, never book basic economy fares. I want the ability to change my travel plans without paying a change or cancellation fee, and I value being able to choose a seat I know I'll be comfortable in. Plus, main cabin fares – the next cheapest alternative – increasingly come with other perks I value, like earning miles and elite status credits on a trip and, sometimes, even a free checked bag.
I understand why some travelers like basic economy. The fares are cheaper, and if you don't care where you sit, it's an easy way to save money.
But you don't always have to choose between flying basic economy and getting a great deal on airfare. Here's how to avoid those pesky basic economy fares while still keeping costs low.
Use Google Flights Filters
For years, we begged Google Flights to introduce a basic economy filter. It felt like screaming into the void. But one day, they listened! For the last year and change, Google Flights has let you filter flights within the U.S. and Canada for basic economy fares, and it's a super valuable search tool.
I clicked on a Google Flights link from a recent Thrifty Traveler Premium flight deal alert we sent for a flurry of price drops flying to and from Chicago (ORD/MDW). When you click the link, you're shown the lowest prices in the “Economy (include Basic)” category for $137.
But if you don't want to see those lowest fares, you no longer have to. Just click on the fare type at the top of the screen and choose “Economy (exclude Basic)” to see main cabin instead.
This handy switch-over is easy and gives you an immediate look at the cheapest main cabin rates for your travels. Plus, you can use this filter on Google Flights Explore, meaning if you type in “United States” into your destination field instead of “Chicago,” you'll see a live map of main cabin fares from your home airport (mine in Minneapolis in this example) and you can choose the lowest main cabin rates.
Because this filter doesn't work for international fares, however, if you put in a search term broader than “United States,” it won't work. So start small and move the map from there!
Use Points & Miles
Often, the easiest ways around basic economy fares is just to use you points and miles.
For a long time, points and miles bookings would automatically circumvent basic fares, which were typically just sold to cash-paying customers. Unfortunately, airlines like Delta ended that, offering up basic economy fares to travelers booking with SkyMiles. JetBlue now does the same, but other airlines haven't jumped in on that trend.
Just look at this Thrifty Traveler Premium flight deal alert we sent to our members alerting them to cheap American Airlines AAdvantage miles rates to Bangkok (BKK).
In the “Deal Summary” section, we note that the lowest fares you'll find are main cabin – including a checked bag, seat assignment, and free changes and cancellation. That means the trip is fully refundable!
In fact, all American AAdvantage awards book into main cabin, which is why I put a premium on earning American miles to fuel my travels. AA miles are basic-proof.
The same goes for United Airlines and its booking partners. Here's an example of a flight deal we sent flying United from Newark (EWR) nonstop to the Azores (PDL) this summer.
As you can see, all the fares on this deal (when you book with United, ANA, or Air Canada) all book into main cabin which includes a checked bag and seat selection. If you book directly with United, it also includes free cancellation. (Air Canada and ANA charge small award cancelation fees.)
If you searched for the same flights on Google Flights to book with cash, you'd see basic fares appear there for $900 roundtrip or more! With points, you could book in main cabin from just 55,000 points roundtrip instead. It's a no-brainer.
Using your points and miles to book your flight could save you from basic economy all on its own. But there's a way to level up your points and miles bookings for an even better deal … even flying Delta.
Book with Airline Partners (Especially for Delta)
Points and miles can keep you from basic economy, but the only surefire way to avoid basic economy (even on pesky Delta) is to book with airline partners.
In the section above, you can see that the flight deal flying to the Azores on United was also bookable with United's partners ANA and Air Canada. Luckily, United also offered main cabin rates using its own miles, but if you want to fly an airline like Delta, you'll need to leverage their partners to save on main cabin award tickets.
A few weeks ago, we saw Delta release a bunch of availability on its flights to Hawaii, bookable through its partners Virgin Atlantic and Air France/KLM FlyingBlue. The end result? A flight deal that saves travelers $1,000 or 100,000 SkyMiles or more thanks to lower booking rates with Delta's partners.
Delta is known to offer relatively cheap flights to Hawaii using SkyMiles … but never on these coveted nonstop routes from places like Atlanta (ATL), Boston (BOS), Detroit (DTW), and Minneapolis (MSP). Those flights will usually run you 100,000 SkyMiles or more in basic economy – hello middle seat on the 8-hour flight to Honolulu.
But by booking with a partner like Flying Blue, you can get those rates down to 51,000 miles roundtrip … in main cabin!
We've seen availability like this pop up on the coveted Delta routes to Europe, Mexico, and more, too. It's the best way to beat high SkyMiles rates on main cabin tickets.
But this isn't just a Delta thing. I have a great example of this from my recent travels through Italy. To get from Rome (FCO) to Bari (BRI), I was looking at booking an ITA Airways flight. The cheapest one I found on the day I wanted was a $102.
Not bad! But the cheapest fare left me with just a carry-on bag (and only a 15-pound bag at that!) and nothing else. Seat assignment on this super short flight wasn't crucial, but that baggage allowance was devastating.
So, I checked ITA's partner airline United to see what they had to offer – voila!
United would sell me the same flight for 6,000 miles and $40 – which is a “Comfort” fare, including a full-sized checked bag so I wouldn't have to sweat the strict carry-on weight limit.
Find Airlines/Routes That Have Main Cabin
If points and miles aren't your thing, there are also certain airlines and destinations that haven't (yet) stripped back benefits from their cheapest fares. The problem: It's kind of random …
Some super long-haul flights to the Middle East and Africa will start with main cabin as the lowest fare class. Some airlines will only sell main cabin on certain long-haul flying, too.
The best example of the latter, is Hawaiian Airlines. When you fly long-haul from Honolulu (HNL) to the South Pacific or Asia on Hawaiian Airlines (or book a connection through HNL), the lowest fare is always main cabin. That means when there's a sale, you can book main cabin fares like these flights to Tahiti, French Polynesia (PPT) for the same price other carriers are charging for basic economy.
It's not always a specific airline that gets the main cabin love. Sometimes it's a region or destination. One example of this would be Dubai (DXB).
For some reason, airlines almost always only sell main cabin fares to Dubai (DXB). Maybe it's to compete with Dubai-based Emirates and its luxury-focused model. Maybe it's because the airlines presume travelers would want or need more flexibility when flying to the Middle East. Whatever it is, Dubai (DXB) is a great destination to target for main cabin flights.
We've seen similar trends happen when flying long-haul to places like Africa, too. A recent flight deal we sent to Cairo, Egypt (CAI) also had main cabin as the cheapest rates in the deal – giving Africa-bound travelers a guaranteed seat and more flexibility.
Bottom Line
Basic economy isn't for everyone, and if you're one of those travelers, that doesn't mean you have to settle for paying more.
Main cabin fares can be booked for cheap by using the right Google Flights filters, wisely using your points and miles, and targeting destinations and airlines that offer main cabin as their lowest-priced option.
