(USA TODAY) Last December, Delta announced that it would be dividing its cabins into five fare classes, ranging from the more-first-than-first class Delta One to more-coach-than-coach Basic Economy. The new lowest price, least comfortable Basic Economy fare was derided at the time, described as the worst economy class on earth and "somehow [making] coach even worse." But now the criticism has gotten even harsher, not from the passengers who are playing Human Tetris and wedging themselves into the worst seats on the plane, but from a passenger rights group who says that the Atlanta-based airline is "shaming" would-be Basic Economy customers into paying for more expensive seats.
The Basic Economy class has been described as Delta's Spirit or Ryanair-style offering (make of that what you will) and those fares are only available on select flights from select airports — including Atlanta, Detroit, New York/La Guardia, Minneapolis/St. Paul and Salt Lake City. But passengers who try to book that offering know it. Before they can select a seat and move to the payment and confirmation pages on the website, they'll see a pop-up window that outlines all of the things that you can't do with a Basic Economy ticket. The restrictions include:
- Last to board and last to access overhead bin space (except Medallion members and other Priority Boarding eligible customers)
- No seat assignment until after check-in
- No refunds
- No ticket changes
- No paid or complimentary upgrades
- No Priority Boarding for purchase
- No same-day confirmed or same-day standby travel changes
Other than that, enjoy your flight! And that long list of restrictions is what has prompted the president of the nonprofit FlyersRights.org to complain. Paul Hudson told the Los Angeles Times that Delta is essentially pressuring customers to upgrade themselves to more expensive seats, comparing the airline to a car dealer who leans on customers until they add expensive stereo systems to their basic model cars. "If it works, other airlines will try to follow," he said.
That's the thing though: Delta is already following other airlines by adding this Spirit-style fare class to its existing flights. The difference is that – as Gary Leff pointed out on View From the Wing– unlike Spirit, Delta isn't charging Basic Economy customers for carry-on bags and it will still serve them a free soda. Leff wrote:
The fares don't have to be limited to routes where the airline competes with Spirit, they can take their planes and mimic Spirit as well. There's nothing wrong with that, other than the potential for customer confusion and dilution of their brand.
Leff says that Delta has a 65% upsell rate to higher fares from passengers who start with Basic Economy. Maybe that pop up is doing its job and not shaming passengers as much as it's scaring them, reminding them what they're getting. Or, more accurately, what they're not getting.
