Ellen Nails It With This Hilarious United Parody
Basic economy is the new normal, unfortunately. All of the major domestic legacy carriers have revealed their own version of these fares, which generally means no carry-on (except for Delta), no advance seat assignment and the exact opposite of priority boarding. United shared the details of its Basic Economy fares back in November and many suspect that this new fare class won't actually lower prices, but will just be an excuse for the airlines to charge customers more fees.
The Ellen Show created an amusing parody of what it'll be like when flying as a United Basic Economy passenger. Taking a page from William Golding's iconic novel Lord of the Flies, the fake United commercial hilariously spins the chaos that could conceivably ensue for passengers who have booked the cheapest possible ticket:
The skit obviously exaggerates the extent to which you'll dread Basic Economy. Once you're on the plane, the onboard product is identical for Economy and Basic Economy travelers. You'll still receive complimentary non-alcoholic refreshments and light snacks, and, assuming you're able to get it past the gate agent, you should even be able to put your personal item in the overhead bin!
H/T: Live and Let's Fly