Testing Testing: Basic Economy on United Airlines, GEG to SFO

So, I'm cheap.  BUT I like to travel.  Well, I'm thrifty and I have itchy feet.  Same difference.

Last year I visited my favorite Aunt* in Bodega Bay, California but I was sick. Sick sick sick.
I've been trying to get back there and see if the place is just as good when one is not just sleeping, drinking tea, and taking showers.

It is.

Back to cheap.  I mean thrifty.

To make this trip, I put an alert on google flights (which I like) for a reasonable ticket.  A notice came up that I could get a ticket on United for a doable price.  Of course when I went to buy it, it was "Basic Economy"...the new steerage only with less food.

It is a big risk because there are tight restrictions on changing or refunds.  Those restrictions are: NOT.  No changes. No refunds. No nuthin'.
If the car breaks down on the way to the airport, as far as I could tell, that would just be too bad.

This was my best shot to test the fare in general because it was a vacation and missing it would be sad, but not a major life challenge.  If I missed the return flight, SFO is a big place and I could probably get SOMETHING to get me home.  I flew out of Spokane because that is my best possibility.

I did have to get a hotel near the airport before the flight out.  That is normal.  It's 2 hours from my house to the airport in perfect weather.  I try to take the first flight of the day on a given airline because that flight will have an airplane.  GEG can be foggy and icy and seems to be an airport that is not on the top of the service list if there are shenanigans elsewhere in the country.  Sometimes the planes don't come in.   It was a surprise that I had to get a hotel room on the return flight. It was supposed to get in at 9pm ish.  I can JUST make it home before falling asleep if I get in at 9pm.  The flight was rescheduled about 2 days after I bought it to come in at 11pm or later.  I went in to the system to try for something better but the system said, "Seriously, you are in steerage with the cattle.  Suck it up." or something like that.

I booked the most reasonable hotel I know of that doesn't have bedbugs (Quality Inn, Liberty Lake, WA, 71$ tax included)

Now for the "Basic Economy" portion of our blog.
I LUCKED OUT.    One can not pick one's seat on that ticket.  Unless one pays 25$ to check a bag, one may not check in online.  One may take a personal item on the flight (small backpack OR briefcase OR purse, pick one or none.  NO regular size carry on.  NO checked bags without paying at least 25$ per direction).  The personal item MUST go under the seat in front of you.  You may NOT use the overhead bin even if all the overhead bins are empty.

I usually travel with a backpack that is about the size allowed.  So I used that and underfilled it a bit to allow for squishage if they made me test it in the carry on and personal item tester thingy at the gate.

I went through the online process as far as it would take me and then just showed up the full 2 hours ahead for my outbound flight.  I went right to the counter.  It was 4am so no line.  Then RIGHT through security.  That was a good idea.  Minutes after I went through apparently security got backed up.  People missed the flight.  It was supposed to be 100% full.  I was randomly assigned a window seat which was fine and the people in the other two seats in my row were stuck in security.  After take off, a woman from the sardine like row behind me moved up and took the aisle seat.  Not bad.  Plenty of room for me.

ALSO!  The new thinner padding on the United steerage seats means more leg room. I have a 34 inch inseam (long legs at 5'6" tall..) and a flat butt.  If I had a bubble butt I would still have been OK in these seats.  

I was allowed to have the "snack" and a free beverage.  Just like the regular economy people.

On the return flight, check in was a bit tougher.  SFO is a bigger airport and it was later in the day.  There was no line and NO ONE at the counter other than the "premiere" counter.  So, I went to a kiosk.  That is allowed.  BUT (there is always a big 'but'), to finish check in even at the kiosk, I had to have an agent come use a badge to confirm that I am not sneaking on a real carry on.  There were 3 agents having a long chat about 10 feet from me.  My credit card was in the machine and it told me that an agent would come.  They just kept chatting.  I had to go get them, turning my back on my credit card in the machine.  I don't like that.  Finally one came and grudgingly did his job.  Sorry to interrupt your day with my shitty ticket.

Then, on through security.  Since I was in boarding group "go to hell"...I mean "5" (keep in mind that group 1 is AFTER military, people needing extra time, people with kids, anyone who paid more for a ticket, anyone with some sort of premiere membership etc etc etc so functionally one is in group 20 or so.  They hadn't started boarding yet but it was close and I ran to the bathroom and right back.  When I get back, there is no one in the gate area and the door to the flight is open so I ask the gate agent if the flight to Spokane is boarding.  He says "yes."  I say "which groups?"  "all of them".  The flight was 25-30% full.  EMPTY.  I had again been assigned a window seat.  Just behind the wing.  The attendants kept announcing that the "economy plus" seats are ONLY FOR THOSE WHO PAID FOR THEM and they'd be happy to let us PAY to sit in a slightly less shitty seat.  No one did.  I ended up with a whole row to myself and sat sideways with my feet up for the whole flight.  Again...just dumb luck.

I got the snack and the attendant gave me the whole can of gingerale.  That is rare these days but I think he just wanted to not have half a can to pour down the tiny sink in the galley.  The miniature bag of pretzels is awaiting adjudication by the Guinness book of world records as "World's Stingiest Freebie."  The same service as the rest of economy.

So basically Basic Economy on this United flight worked OK.  I would not do it if I needed to check a bag or have a full size carry on.  The extra fees would outstrip the savings.  I would not do it if I needed to actually get somewhere on a particular date.  Nor in winter when the odds of getting stuck on the way to the airport are fairly high.

It was fine for this or for any other non-crucial flight but the savings are minimal and the risk of being uncomfortable, inconvenienced, or out of the ticket cost are a bit high.





*All my aunts are my favorite.