American Airlines began selling basic economy fares in 10 markets in 2017. Today, you’ll find basic economy fares on most routes. And although it’s been around for over seven years, you may still have questions about American Airlines’ basic economy fare class and what it entails. So, let’s explore what you should know before booking or flying this restrictive fare class.
What is basic economy on American Airlines?
Basic economy is American Airlines’ lowest-priced Main Cabin fare. In exchange for a lower-priced fare, American Airlines basic economy comes with some restrictions on seating, boarding order, mileage earning, and your eligibility to change or cancel your flight.
American Airlines waives some basic economy restrictions for elite members and holders of eligible AAdvantage credit cards. Throughout this story, I’ll assume you don’t have Oneworld elite status or an AAdvantage credit card. So, if you have one or both of those, check out the sections dedicated to elite members and cardholders near the end of this guide.
Related: 4 things I think about when booking basic economy
American Airlines basic economy carry-on policy
All American Airlines passengers, including those in basic economy, can bring at most one personal item and one carry-on item aboard the plane.
Your personal item must be no larger than 18 by 14 by 8 inches and should fit under the seat in front of you. Meanwhile, your carry-on bag must fit in the overhead bin and cannot be larger than 22 by 14 by 9 inches.
Of course, medically necessary items such as a diaper bag (one per child), a breast pump, a soft-sided cooler of breast milk, child safety seats, strollers, medical devices and mobility devices don’t count as personal items or carry-on items even when you’re traveling on an American Airlines basic economy fare.
Related: Here’s what to pack in a carry-on bag every time you travel
American Airlines basic economy baggage policy
American Airlines basic economy passengers usually don’t get a complimentary checked bag even on routes where Main Cabin passengers do. As such, you should expect to pay to check baggage when flying on an American Airlines basic economy fare.
Daily Newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts
Here are the rates you can expect to pay:
| Region | Bag 1 | Bag 2 | Bag 3 | Bag 4 and up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S., Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands | $40 | $45 | $150 | $200 |
| Haiti | $35 | $65 | $200 | $200 |
| Canada, Caribbean (except Cuba and Haiti), Central America (except Panama), Guyana, Mexico and Suriname | $35 | $45 | $200 | $200 |
| Panama, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru | $45 | $100 | $200 | $200 |
| South America (except Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru and Suriname) | $60 | $100 | $200 | $200 |
| Transatlantic and transpacific | $70 | $100 | $200 | $200 |
However, you may save $5 on the fee for your first checked bag on some routes when you purchase your checked bag during online check-in. Check the American Airlines baggage fees page for the latest prices and details.
Related: How to avoid checked baggage fees on major domestic airlines
American Airlines basic economy seat selection
American Airlines basic economy fares don’t include seat selection, but you can pay to choose a specific seat at any time during or after booking.
If you don’t choose to pay to select a seat, American Airlines will automatically assign you a seat for free at check-in. You may not be seated with other travelers on your same reservation if you don’t pay to select seats together.
However, if you are a family traveling with children under 15, American’s systems will automatically search for seats together before the day of departure. If it can’t find seats together for your entire group, it will assign each child under 15 a seat next to at least one adult.
Related: Where is the best seat on an airplane? Here’s how to choose the place to sit whenever you fly
Boarding group for American Airlines basic economy
Basic economy passengers generally board in the last boarding group, Group 9.
You may be required to gate-check your carry-on bag by the time the boarding process reaches Group 9, but doing so will be free.
Related: Which airline credit cards offer the best priority boarding perks?
Changing an American Airlines basic economy ticket
One negative of American Airlines’ basic economy fares is that changes usually aren’t possible.
You can only change American Airlines basic economy tickets in two situations. The first is if you want to make changes within 24 hours of booking. In this case, you can change your booking (if you booked at least two days before departure) but must pay any fare difference resulting from the change. Second, you can change your ticket for an undisclosed fee if your basic economy trip originates in Europe (except Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania).
Related: How to avoid airline change and cancellation fees
Canceling an American Airlines basic economy ticket
You can cancel your American Airlines basic economy ticket and get a refund to your original form of payment if you book at least two days before departure and cancel within 24 hours of booking.
Once 24 hours have passed, you may still be able to cancel your American Airlines basic economy ticket and get a travel credit of your ticket price minus a $99 fee. To qualify to get this travel credit, all the following must be true:
- Your AAdvantage number must be in your reservation before you cancel.
- Your trip must have been booked in the U.S. directly with American Airlines.
- Your trip must also be on American-marketed and -operated flights within the 50 U.S. states.
- You must cancel on the American website or app before your first flight departs.
If these criteria don’t hold, you can’t cancel your basic economy ticket. As such, I don’t book basic economy American Airlines fares unless I’m confident I’ll take the flights.
Related: Ultimate guide to canceling a flight and getting a refund with major US airlines
Does American Airlines basic economy earn miles?
AAdvantage members earn 2 miles per dollar on ticket prices (including base fare and carrier-imposed fees but excluding government-imposed taxes and fees) when traveling in basic economy on flights marketed and operated by American Airlines. These miles are Loyalty Point eligible, and AAdvantage elite members will earn an elite bonus on these miles.
However, 2 miles per dollar is significantly lower than the 5 miles per dollar you’d earn on a Main Cabin economy fare. So, this should be considered in your calculations when deciding whether the price difference between basic economy and Main Cabin economy is worthwhile.
Related: How to earn miles in the American Airlines AAdvantage program
American Airlines credit card perks when flying basic economy
Select American Airlines credit cards can improve your basic economy experience. With an eligible AAdvantage card, you’ll get the following benefits even when flying on an American Airlines basic economy fare:
- First checked bag for free for you and up to a set number of companions on the same reservation when flying domestically on flights marketed and operated by American Airlines (the number of companions varies by card)
- Group 5 boarding, except with the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees), which provides Group 4 boarding
Note that you only need an eligible card — you don’t have to purchase your basic economy ticket with the eligible card. So you can get the boarding and baggage benefits of a cobranded American Airlines credit card even when you pay for your ticket with a different travel rewards card.
If you’re looking for a card that provides Group 4 or 5 boarding and your first checked bag free on domestic itineraries, consider getting one of the following cards:
The information for the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select and AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Related: How to use credit cards to defeat basic economy
Elite benefits when flying American Airlines basic economy
Having American elite status or another Oneworld elite status helps decrease some of the negative aspects of basic economy. Specifically, elite members get the following benefits as normal even when flying on an American Airlines basic economy fare:
- Normal boarding group
- Standard checked baggage benefits
- Usual upgrade privileges
- Complimentary preferred and Main Cabin Extra seat selection benefits based on elite status
- Complimentary same-day confirmed flight change for AAdvantage Platinum Pro and Executive Platinum members
However, you’ll earn just 2 miles per dollar on basic economy ticket prices instead of the 5 miles per dollar you’ll earn on most other fares.
Related: Credit cards that can help you earn airline elite status
Bottom line
Basic economy fares on American Airlines come with restrictions. However, travelers with elite status or an eligible American Airlines credit card can escape many of the inconveniences of basic economy. Specifically, these passengers receive their customary baggage allowance and boarding zone provided by their elite status or eligible credit card even when flying in American Airlines basic economy.
