Well, if affordability only remained consistent, that would be great. However, American Airlines has recently announced a new policy that affects basic economy passengers. Now, these passengers will have to pay $75 to check their first bag on transoceanic flights.
According to the airline, this decision aims to create more consistency in the terms of basic economy across its entire network.
In a statement, Andrea Koos, a spokesperson for American Airlines, said, “We are simplifying our product offerings to make it easier for customers when they are shopping for travel. With this change, our Basic Economy product will include all of the same features whether a customer is purchasing it for a domestic or international flight.”
Unfortunately, this change doesn’t benefit customers. It actually increases the cost for those who purchase the cheapest fare ticket from AA and need to check a bag on their longest flights by nearly $100.
Moreover, this policy diverges from the practices of other airlines like United and Delta. These companies provide free first-checked bags on transpacific flights for their basic economy ticketholders.
