Last year, I reported on the new reality of economy ticket tiers after learning my lesson the hard way.
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I’d booked a cheap economy flight, then needed to change the date. When I called to change my reservation, I was notified that I had purchased the cheapest tier—which isn’t eligible for changes. I volunteered to pay for the change, but it was a no-go.
I lost my ticket, which cost around $1,000. It was my mistake for not reading the fine print closely. But, at the same time, I’m an avid traveler with years of international flights under my belt. I had never been told that changing a reservation wouldn’t be possible—not even for a fee. I had booked with KLM, an otherwise fantastic airline, which left me even more surprised.
It was a rude awakening to realize that even highly rated and passenger-approved airlines like KLM were changing their economy tiers. Fast forward one year, and some airlines and booking platforms offer more than one economy ticket tier.
Going forward in 2026, what do you need to know about economy vs premium economy tickets? And what about other middle-ground tiers that affect your in-flight amenities, fees, and ability to change your booking?
Let’s dive in.
Basic Economy vs premium economy tickets: what to expect
There are three main economy ticket tiers as of 2026. These include basic economy, standard economy, and premium economy (sometimes called economy plus).
Basic Economy is the cheapest tier that comes with the most fine print. You can nab cheap seats, but at a cost. Sometimes, you can’t choose your seat assignment or even check a bag, in some cases—even for a fee. You can’t change your reservation or get a refund for cancelled flights. This was my experience with KLM last year—I’d purchased a basic economy ticket without realizing how few options I had to change it.
Standard Economy is what I thought I was getting last year when I purchased the Basic Economy ticket. (Again, it was my fault for not reading the fine print.) You get the free carry-on bag, advanced seat selection (for a fee, of course), and you have the option to make changes to your reservation. You can usually add miles onto your program, or take advantage of upgrades, too.
Premium Economy or Economy Plus usually comes with wider, comfier seats, a free carry-on, priority check-in and boarding, and the option to change or alter reservations. Usually, you’d fork over extra money for a Premium Economy ticket for international flights to snag those larger seats—you won’t get too much bang for your buck on a short domestic flight.
Economy vs premium economy tickets: how to set yourself up for success
There are a few ways that you can save money by purchasing economy tickets without putting yourself at risk of losing the ticket or paying out the wazoo for a basic add-on. In 2026, use these tips before you finalize your purchase for economy tickets.
- Buy directly from the airline. If you accidentally buy the wrong tier, I can’t guarantee that they’ll help you fix the problem—but customer service agents definitely won’t ping you back to the third-party booking site because they don’t have the options.
- Read the fine print before you finalize your purchase. All airlines are different, and they might use different verbiage for their economy ticket tiers. Don’t get confused.
- Check the fees for Basic Economy fares—if you’re going to pay more for carry-ons and seat selection, it’s probably cheaper to buy the Premium Economy ticket upfront.
- Be mindful when buying tickets for international flights. Not many international carriers offer three different economy tiers—they usually only offer Basic and Premium.
- If you want to snag business class seats, use the bidding hack. You might find fares that cost only a few hundred more than Premium Economy, even for long-haul flights!
