What’s the Difference Between Different Economy Tickets?

These Days, It Feels Like There are a Dozen Different Economy Seat Experiences

Buying an economy-class plane ticket these days isn’t as straightforward as it once was, and you might find yourself scratching your head when you see all the different options on your screen. Some airlines have a basic economy, a regular economy, an upgraded economy, and a premium economy.

What are the differences between different economy seats, and is it really worth it to pay extra for more amenities like a luggage allowance on your flight? Do you need to plunk down extra cash for a particular seat? Can you get away with just a (small) carry-on on a packed vacation itinerary?

Obviously, the answer to those questions will depend on the goals for your flight. Do you want to arrive refreshed with a free meal and enough legroom? Are you aiming to fly as cheaply as possible? Or perhaps it’s more important to you to sit near a bathroom, snag an aisle seat, or get into an exit row for your long international flight.

Airlines have certainly given you more choices these days for seats, but you may find it helpful to understand what actually comes with a particular class of seat and whether it’s worth it to upgrade or just go as cheaply as possible with bargain basement economy. You’ll probably also end up considering things differently based on whether you’re flying domestically or booking an international itinerary.

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Basic No Frills Back of the Plane Economy

While there were once just “economy” seats, now there are several different types, and the least expensive these days will always come with the fewest amenities. And we’re not talking about luxuries like an included meal. Often, you don’t even get a free meal anyway unless you opt for premium economy, which is sometimes just a hair cheaper than business class.

The defining factor of ultra-basic economy is that all it comes with is your plane ticket to board the aircraft. Sometimes, the ticket restricts carry-on luggage or checked luggage (meaning you can’t even pay for it if you want the option). It’s really important to check these restrictions when you fly because you might not even be able to pay extra at the airport to get your carry-on bag on the plane.

Other amenities that you normally won’t see as part of the ticket price on basic economy include seat selection, meals, extra legroom, wider seats, and “premium” seating options like exit row seats. Sometimes, the airline will offer you these amenities for an extra fee, but sometimes, there are actual restrictions on the ticket that disallow any extras. You might not even have the option to pay extra for a particular seat, let alone choose one.

One of the helpful features you’ll see on the airline websites when you conduct a flight search is a grid that displays the prices for all the different fare types, as well as the fare names, whether they have a layover and the included amenities. Normally, if you click somewhere on the grid (usually the name of the fare), you can get a list of the amenities that do or don’t come with that fare class.

Also, note that the name of the fare will almost always change depending on the airline you use. If you’re flying on JetBlue, for example, you’ll encounter Blue Basic, Blue, Blue Plus, and Blue Extra. That’s four different economy classes with a slew of different amenities. Sheesh. And then there’s a premium class called Mint, too.

Middle Economy Usually Means A Seat or Luggage

Just above bare-bones economy is the economy class that most of us were used to about a decade ago before the proliferation of different economy classes began. This seat will usually either feature included seat choice (with better seats reserved for an extra fee) or checked luggage. In most cases, regular economy comes with a carry-on included, but sometimes that’s reserved for the third level of economy.

It’s really, really important that you check all of the amenities that are included and not included when you choose a particular fare these days, because not having an option available to you might put a severe crimp in your plans. If you decide to use an aggregate site like Expedia to save money, open another window in your browser and do a search for the particulars of the fare you’re seeing.

Don’t accidentally buy a base economy plane ticket for a great price, thinking that you’ve won the lottery with your flight, only to find out that all you’re given is a personal item (remember, a personal item is like a backpack and is NOT a carry-on, which is like a small suitcase or duffel bag). Even if you’re very keen on getting that low-priced fare, make sure that the option you might want to splurge on is even available for that fare class.

If you’re particularly good at packing for domestic or international trips, you might be able to get things done with just a personal item, but it’s tough if you’re traveling internationally. And bear in mind that some airlines have really tight regulations when it comes to personal items, carry-ons, and even checked luggage. Flying with luggage these days can expose you to a mountain of added fees and make it tough to save money on travel.

If you don’t care about free food and you’re not in pursuit of a larger seat with more room for your legs, regular economy is generally satisfactory. Regular economy seats are usually a good idea when they include your choice of seat and a free carry-on. However, you’ll usually need to pay extra for most regular economy seats when you want to check luggage. The one exception is on international flights when some airlines (only some!) will give you a checked bag free, even if your ticket is in the economy.

Top Level Economy Flights Means More Extras and More Cost

An upgraded economy seat, which is usually the most expensive economy option unless you choose premium economy (which is almost like a class all unto itself), should get you most of what you’re looking for included with the base ticket price. You’ll usually get your choice of seat and a luggage allowance that will include a carry-on and may or may not include checked baggage.

You’ll usually need to do a little math to figure out whether the best economy seats are worth the extra cost. Sometimes, an airline may simply add the cost of various amenities onto each economy class. For example, your basic economy ticket will cost $300, your middle economy class will cost $380, and your top-level economy class will cost $450.

If you look at the amenities that come with each of those classes, you’ll notice that the extra $80 on the middle class of ticket is your luggage, and the extra $70 on your top-level economy is your seat choice. Sometimes, these amounts will vary a bit, which means that paying for a more expensive ticket will actually save you some money on the added amenities you’d want anyway.

One of the biggest changes that tends to occur with the top-level economy is an increase in the size of your seat or an increase in legroom. Let’s take a look at United for an example. Their “Economy Plus” option has the same size seat as regular economy, but you get an extra three inches of legroom. If you’re a tall person who hates their knees hitting the seat in front of them, the price increase could be worth it.

Consider, however, the length of your flight before you spring for the top-level economy ticket. If you’re just flying for a few hours, maybe from Los Angeles in Southern California to Portland, Oregon, which is less than three hours in the air, do you need to pay for the extra room? Compare that to a basic economy seat across the ocean on a long-haul flight on an international trip, where you’ll sit in that seat for at least 10 hours.

Are Premium Economy Seats Worth The Cost?

We’re going to talk about premium economy here, too, because it’s got “economy” in the name. But it’s worth pointing out that – particularly on flights across an ocean – premium economy is often double the price of a regular economy ticket.

However, the cool feature of premium economy long-haul flights is that the seats are often around the same size as domestic first-class seats, which can feel incredibly comfortable when you’re on a plane for a dozen hours. If you take a look at the configuration of domestic first-class seats, you’ll probably notice they’re always arranged as a pair of seats together on either side of an aisle.

That’s often the size of a premium economy seat on an international flight. In some cases, premium economy seats are also a rather luxurious size for domestic flights, but not always. In many cases, a domestic premium economy ticket will offer a bit more seat room and some additional legroom, but you might not get the fancy big seats like you might if you were flying across an international border or the ocean.

The biggest drawback to premium economy seats is that they’re often, literally, twice the cost of a regular economy seat. If you’re on the hunt for a bargain fare, you won’t find it in premium economy. However, on that same note, if you want to save some money without flying true first class on an international flight, a premium economy seat will usually get you the same experience as a first-class domestic ticket.

That’s something to think about when international first class tickets can cost you $6,000, but premium economy would cost half that (and by extension, regular economy could cost less than a fifth of a first class ticket). Cost just varies wildly on different economy fares, particularly when you bump things up to premium economy. To make the best choice for your vacation, always take a look at the pictures and amenities listed by the airline with which you intend to fly so you can make sure you’re getting everything you want (and nothing extra) with your fare.

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