Plane tickets are about to get cheaper, but beware of ‘basic economy’

In an earnings call last night, United Airlines said it would add more “basic economy” fares in its bid to better compete with the new crop of low-cost carriers. The announcement sent the company’s stocks tumbling, but more distressingly, it will increase the likelihood that consumers will get lured in by the rock-bottom prices without being fully aware of how much flying basic economy sucks.
Most of the major carriers offer some class of basic economy fares. On the surface, i