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American Airlines Just Expanded Basic Economy to More Routes

June 07, 2017
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3 min read
New generation of jets comes with ups, downs
American Airlines Just Expanded Basic Economy to More Routes
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American Airlines basic economy is expanding again. Since launching in February on just ten routes, American Airlines has only made one large expansion since. Before today, there were only 25 affected routes...

Now there are 44. This afternoon, American Airlines posted an update to its website adding 19 new routes to basic economy.

For the first time, we have a western city added to what was previously an East Coast issue: Los Vegas (LAS) has the honor of getting five basic economy routes. These include the 5-hour flight to Miami (MIA) and the 4.5-hour flight to Charlotte (CLT). And, unfortunately, these include connecting flights as well.

For example, here's what you'll pay for a basic economy fare from Miami to Las Vegas for travel tomorrow:

After this expansion, the most affected cities are now: Amarillo, Texas (AMA/11 routes); Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW/11); Midland, Texas (MAF/10) and Miami, Florida (MIA/9).

Here’s the full list of the 44 Basic Economy routes:

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  • Amarillo (AMA) to/from Baltimore-Washington (BWI), Cincinnati (CVG), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Detroit (DTW), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Las Vegas (LAS), Little Rock (LIT), Miami (MIA), Midland (MAF), Philadelphia (PHL), Tampa (TPA)
  • Boston (BOS) to/from Miami (MIA)
  • Baltimore-Washington (BWI) to/from Amarillo (AMA), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Midland (MAF)
  • Charlotte (CLT) to/from Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Las Vegas (LAS), Miami (MIA), Midland (MAF), Orlando (MCO), Philadelphia (PHL)
  • Cincinnati (CVG) to/from Amarillo (AMA), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Midland (MAF)
  • Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to/from Amarillo (AMA), Baltimore-Washington (BWI), Cincinnati (CVG), Detroit (DTW), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Las Vegas (LAS), Little Rock (LIT), Miami (MIA), Midland (MAF), Philadelphia (PHL), Tampa (TPA)
  • Detroit (DTW) to/from Amarillo (AMA), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Midland (MAF)
  • Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to/from Amarillo (AMA), Charlotte (CLT), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Midland (MAF), Philadelphia (PHL)
  • Las Vegas (LAS) to/from Amarillo (AMA), Charlotte (CLT), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Little Rock (LIT), Miami (MIA)
  • Little Rock (LIT) to/from Amarillo (AMA), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Las Vegas (LAS), Midland (MAF)
  • Midland (MAF) to/from Amarillo (AMA), Baltimore-Washington (BWI), Charlotte (CLT), Cincinnati (CVG), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Detroit (DTW), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Little Rock (LIT), Miami (MIA), Tampa (TPA)
  • Miami (MIA) to/from Amarillo (AMA), Boston (BOS), Charlotte (CLT), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Las Vegas (LAS), Midland (MAF), New Orleans (MSY), Philadelphia (PHL), Tampa (TPA)
  • New Orleans (MSY) to/from Miami (MIA), Philadelphia (PHL), Tampa (TPA)
  • Orlando (MCO) to/from Charlotte (CLT)
  • Philadelphia (PHL) to/from Amarillo (AMA), Charlotte (CLT), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Miami (MIA), New Orleans (MSY), Tampa (TPA)
  • Tampa (TPA) to/from Amarillo (AMA), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Miami (MIA), Midland (MAF), New Orleans (MSY), Philadelphia (PHL)

It's a bummer that American Airlines is extending basic economy to these 19 routes. However, we're appreciative that AA is continuing to slowly roll out basic economy and that the airline is sharing when and where it's being extended. Meanwhile, United — which started selling basic economy on the exact same day as American — confirmed today that basic economy is now pervasive across all domestic routes.

Remember that you can use credit cards to alleviate much of the pain of basic economy fares. Just by having an American Airlines co-branded credit card — many of which waive the annual fee for the first year — you can board early, carry on a bag and check a bag for free, too.

Featured image by MCT via Getty Images

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  • Intro Offer

    As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.