The window seat hack I stumbled on by accident

I was booking a flight from Cleveland to Denver last month and the standard economy seats were $280. Out of curiosity I clicked the option for "basic economy" thinking it would be a pain, but it was only $210. The catch was you can't pick your seat till check in. I figured I'd get a middle seat in the back. But at check in 24 hours before, I got a window seat near the front. Turns out lots of people avoid basic economy so there's less competition for the good leftover seats. I saved $70 and got a better spot than usual. Has anyone else tried gambling on basic economy and come out ahead?

2 comments

2 Comments

hayes.joel4d ago

Oh yeah, I've done this three times now and scored a window or aisle every time.

alice894d ago

Wait you got a window seat near the FRONT with basic economy? That's honestly wild. I figured those tickets would get you stuck in the worst possible spot like a middle seat next to the bathroom. I'm shocked the gamble actually paid off that well with a prime window spot too. Maybe airlines are counting on people to pay more for seat selection and basic economy ends up being less popular than they expect. Might have to try this on my next trip to see if I get that lucky.