{"id":265091,"date":"2026-09-25T13:45:59","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T13:45:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/25\/booking-with-points-on-3-airlines-it-might-be-basic-economy-the-points-guy\/"},"modified":"2026-09-25T13:45:59","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T13:45:59","slug":"booking-with-points-on-3-airlines-it-might-be-basic-economy-the-points-guy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/25\/booking-with-points-on-3-airlines-it-might-be-basic-economy-the-points-guy\/","title":{"rendered":"Booking with points? On 3 airlines, it might be basic economy – The Points Guy"},"content":{"rendered":"


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The next time you book a flight with points, double-check fare you’re booking: t might be basic economy.<\/p>\n

A growing number of U.S. airlines now offer basic award fares. That means \u2014 even if you’re using miles \u2014 you could face restrictions like no seat selection, no lounge access and no upgrades.<\/p>\n

For years, Delta Air Lines was the only carrier in America with “basic” mileage redemptions.<\/p>\n

Then last year, both JetBlue and Southwest Airlines started offering up no-frills award tickets.<\/p>\n

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JetBlue aircraft at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). SEAN CUDAHY\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What this means for travelers: increasingly, when you go to search for a mileage deal, the cheapest award price you’ll see is often a restrictive basic ticket.<\/p>\n

And with nearly every major airline shaking up their basic economy policies in recent months,<\/a><\/span> I wouldn’t be surprised if more airlines follow suit.<\/p>\n

This affects the number of points in your account, the loyalty perks you’ll get when you fly, and your ability to make changes to your itinerary after booking.<\/p>\n

Which US airlines sell basic economy award tickets?<\/h2>\n

Three of the six largest U.S. airlines now offer a basic economy product even to customers booking with points and miles:<\/p>\n

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Delta’s basic SkyMiles awards date back to the late 2010s.<\/a><\/span> JetBlue started offering basic TrueBlue bookings<\/a><\/span> last year. And last year when Southwest replaced “Wanna Get Away” with basic economy<\/a><\/span>, it immediately opened up those fares for Rapid Rewards redemptions.<\/p>\n

Read more: Basic economy and the ‘evolution’ that’s sweeping over airlines’ cheapest fares<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Southwest Airlines planes at Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU). SEAN CUDAHY\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What’s the big deal?<\/h2>\n

When you search for award bookings on those three U.S. carriers, the first (and best) price you see may not be the price you’ll actually wind up paying \u2014 unless you’re willing to settle for restrictions.<\/p>\n

Here’s an example: a December JetBlue flight from Boston to Orlando. Initially, main cabin awards display as 16,100 TrueBlue points.<\/p>\n

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JETBLUE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But once you click into the fare, you’ll see that 16,100 points is actually a basic ticket (JetBlue calls it “Main Base”).<\/p>\n

To get a true standard economy booking, you’ll need over 19,000 points \u2014 22% more.<\/p>\n

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JETBLUE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Here’s an example on Delta: a flight from Atlanta to Seattle. Initially, the SkyMiles price is 28,100 miles.<\/p>\n

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DELTA AIR LINES<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But, again, that’s basic. For a regular coach ticket, you’ll need over 35,000 miles \u2014 a 27% jump.<\/p>\n

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DELTA AIR LINES<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Why not just book basic, then?<\/h2>\n

Booking basic award tickets can certainly save you some miles (sometimes a lot of miles).<\/p>\n

But just like with paid fares, you’ll deal with some onerous restrictions.<\/p>\n

On both Delta and JetBlue, basic economy passengers can’t enter airport lounges \u2014 even members that typically get access via a credit card.<\/p>\n

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JetBlue’s “BlueHouse” lounge at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS). DAVID SLOTNICK\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On all three airlines, there are seat selection restrictions; if you don’t have any status or carry a credit card, you could be assigned a seat at check-in. And that might mean a middle seat.<\/p>\n

Plus, Delta’s basic passengers don’t earn Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs) toward status.<\/p>\n

The flexibility of award travel disappears<\/h3>\n

Basic award fares also come without the flexibility typically enjoyed by flyers who book with points.<\/p>\n

Typically, mileage bookings are really flexible: If you book and later need to cancel, you’ll get the miles redeposited into your account and all taxes and fees are refunded.<\/p>\n

But that’s not always the case with basic award tickets.<\/p>\n