Travelling around the US in 'basic economy' is not a great idea
Flying over the holidays is stressful enough, but now with airlines introducing the new "basic economy" tickets that come with heavy restrictions, it might be better to not travel at all.
Buying the cheapest flight ticket so you can save money for fun activities is not a great idea anymore. With United States airlines introducing "basic economy" fares that offer little more than a seat on the plane for passengers, it looks as if staying at home might be the best way to stay sane (and save money) this holiday.
Carriers such as Delta, American, and United offer passengers a cheap ticket that comes with no frills - choosing a seat and adding carry-on luggage add more to the final amount you will pay - in hopes of encouraging passengers to pay more to access premium features. What was once a perfectly acceptable economy class ticket has been stripped down to push people to pay more.
Airlines have a dirty little secret: they really don't want you to fly basic economy pic.twitter.com/NGjUaOqDZR
— TicToc by Bloomberg (@tictoc) December 11, 2018
The money to be made from charging excess for what was once standard is almost too good to be true. According to The Gazette: "Airlines in the United States and Europe led the world’s carriers in collecting a total of $92.9 billion [well over R1-trillion] from extra charges to check bags, upgrade seats and change reservations, among other services that once were included in the price of a flight."
Suddenly, taking any kind of flight at all doesn't seem appealing, does it?
So, what kind of alternative means of travel will you be using this year?
Image: Sourav Mishra