Is basic economy actually cheaper? When the lowest fare isn't the lowest price
The cheapest fare on the screen is often basic economy, and it can cost more than the fare above it. Here's how to compare what you'll actually pay.
Search almost any route and the cheapest fare on the screen is usually a stripped-down one, sold under a name like basic economy. Sometimes it really is the cheapest way to fly. Sometimes it is the most expensive, once you add back what it left out. The only way to know is to compare what each fare costs for the trip you're actually taking.
What the lowest fare usually leaves out
The details vary by airline and change often, so the fare rules at checkout are the only authority. But the lowest fare on a flight commonly comes with some of these limits:
- Bags. A checked bag is often extra, and on some airlines a full-size carry-on is too.
- Seat selection. You may be assigned a seat at check-in, or pay to choose one — which matters if you're travelling with someone you want to sit next to.
- Changes and cancellations. The cheapest fares are often the least flexible: changes may be restricted or not allowed at all.
- Boarding order and upgrades. Usually last to board, and often not eligible for upgrades or the full mileage credit.
None of that is hidden, exactly. It's just not in the number you compare when you scan a list of prices.
When the cheaper fare costs more
Take an illustrative case: a basic fare at $337 and a standard fare on the same flight at $380 that includes a checked bag. If you're checking a bag and it costs $70 on the basic fare, the "cheap" option is $407 — $27 more than the one that looked dearer. Add a seat for two travellers who want to sit together and the gap widens again.
Flip the assumptions — one person, a backpack, no preference about seats — and the basic fare is simply $43 cheaper. Same two fares, opposite answers. What decides it is what you need, which no fare list knows.
How to compare fares properly
- Decide what you need first: bags, seats together, any chance you'll change the date.
- Price each fare with those extras added, using the airline's own fee pages or the checkout screen, since bag and seat fees vary by route and change over time.
- Compare the totals, not the headline fares. Taxes are already included in the fare you see on most US booking sites; the extras are what change the comparison.
- Put a price on flexibility. If there's a real chance your plans move, a fare that allows changes can be worth more than its price difference.
What this means for the prices we quote
The fare in a PriceHash alert is the lowest fare seen for those dates, and every alert says that bags and seat selection are extra. We don't know which extras you need, so we won't pretend the number in the email is what you'll pay.
That doesn't distort the score. The comparison is like for like — today's lowest fare against the lowest fares we've recorded on the same route, month and booking window — so a fare that scores well really is unusually low for that kind of fare. More on that in what "26% below typical" means.
What the score can't do is tell you whether the lowest fare suits your trip. That part is yours, and it's worth the two minutes at checkout. If you want the timing part handled, watch a route and we'll tell you when the fare is genuinely low.
More field notes
Is a round trip cheaper than two one-way tickets? It depends where you fly
On some routes a round trip is two one-ways added up; on others a one-way costs nearly as much as both. Here's how to tell, and what to watch for.
Are flight price alerts worth it? What separates a useful alert from noise
Most price alerts tell you a fare changed. That's not the same as telling you it's good. Here's what to look for in an alert before it trains you to ignore it.
Do flight prices drop closer to departure? Why last-minute deals are the exception
Last-minute fare drops are real, which is why waiting for one feels reasonable. Here's why they're the exception on most routes, and what to do instead.