Delta's Basic Economy

Delta's Basic Economy

Passengers who want to pay for roomier coach seats on Delta can book Economy Comfort seats, which offer additional legroom and other premium features on domestic and international flights. Now, on the other end of the coach spectrum, for those who want to pay a little less the airline has introduced a Basic Economy fare class (E booking class), the lowest fare possible. The seats are the same as regular coach seats but there are no advance seat assignments for E class, even if you are a top-tier elite Medallion member. You will not receive a seat number when making reservations and will be automatically assigned a seat at check-in. You will earn the same number of miles as regular coach fares but no changes to the flights are allowed. If you need to make changes to your ticket, you can’t pay a change fee or cancellation fee and change your itinerary or cancel the flight. E fares are available on flights within the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands. Visit http://insideflyerus.wpengine.com/link/?6278 for more information.

Bottom line: If you don’t care where you sit and don’t expect your travel plans to change, then it may be worth the savings to book a Basic Economy fare. Keep in mind, though, that the $20 you saved may mean you end up in a middle seat at the back of the plane near the toilet. If you need to cancel the flight for any reason, you will forfeit the money spent on the ticket and even elites aren’t exempt from the no advance seat assignment clause. But at least the number of miles earned for E fares isn’t reduced. The E fares are also eligible for a full refund within 24 hours of booking through Delta’s Risk Free Cancellation policy. A same-day confirmed option also allows for you to change your flight on the same day of travel for a fee of $50.