On my most recent trip to Oahu, this time to surprise my dad and take him out to celebrate his 80th birthday, I decided to fly Basic Economy. I’m here this week.
Initially, I planned to pay $1,600 round trip for first class because the flight was on a Boeing 777 300ER, which is my favorite aircraft, and the first class single bed is located by the window. But in the end I wasn’t able to pay that much, mostly because I’m frugal.
Our stock market is so strong in 2025 that I think it’s good to treat myself. After all, I sold my old house at a profit in the first quarter of 2025 and used about 80% of my home sale proceeds to buy on the dips in March and April.
But just as I was getting ready to buy a first-class ticket, I realized something else. I haven’t suffered in a long time, and the longer I go without discomfort, the softer and lazier I become. You should check out my growth kit! So I decided to embrace first world misery by booking not just economy but basic economy.
Basic economic fun
When I was ready to pay $460 for standard economy, United offered me an extra $60 to choose a window seat. This feels like a bait and switch. Upgrading to premium economy costs about $750, which isn’t attractive for just 4 inches of extra legroom, especially since I’m an average 5-foot-10.
So, in true personal finance fashion, I declined the upsell and booked Basic Economy for $360. When flying Basic Economy, you can’t choose your seat and can only bring one carry-on bag that fits under the seat in front of you. From what I read, I didn’t find out my seat assignment until I got to the gate, which meant I needed to arrive earlier than normal.
We have to adjust our morning routine. Instead of leaving the house at 8:15am and getting the kids to school by 8:27am, we set out at 7:40am so I could drop them off at 7:53am and still easily leave at 9:30am.
Despite the inconvenience, paying $360 feels totally worth it. No matter which class you fly, you’ll arrive at the same destination at the same time. I took most of the difference between first class and basic economy and put $1,100 of it into our flight. Fengsheng Venture Capital Account for my children.
I’m glad I did, because Microsoft, Nvidia, and Anthropic formed a partnership, and Anthropic is currently valued at $350 billion. Anthropic is a core holding of Fundrise Venture.
Win the Basic Economics Lottery
The Sunday before my flight, I played basketball until ten o’clock in the evening, hoping to tire myself out enough to sleep for more than an hour on the plane. This worked well and I slept for about an hour and a half during the four hour and forty-four minute flight. Below are the main basic economic lottery winning results.
First time winning: you can sign in online
I received an unexpected text message from United Airlines. It says:
“New benefits for you. Basic Economy passengers can now check in online and receive a digital boarding pass.”
This eliminates all the anxiety of needing to check in at a counter or gate. I expected a slow two-step process, but basic economy suddenly felt exactly the same as regular economy and premium economy.
Second time winning: the safety line is short
United now uses the international terminal for some flights to Hawaii. This means that the security line is about eighty percent shorter than a normal domestic line. I got through the gate quickly and arrived at the gate at 8:37 for my 9:30 flight.
For context, it only took me 17 minutes from arriving at the airport to arriving at the gate. With 35 minutes left before boarding, I had a $23 vegetarian tofu lunch box.
The third lottery win: landing early
The flight was on time and landed twenty-two minutes early. My last four United flights have all been late, so this feels lucky.
Fourth lottery win – the biggest yet:
I avoided seat 51E, that horrible middle seat. Since I arrived early, I asked the gate agent if they could change my seat. I requested a window seat as I like to lean against the wall for extra space.
He said he would exchange it for 46L for me but could not print a new boarding pass. This is fine with me. When I checked again he said the changes were not completed. It took him two attempts before he let me board and hoped for the best while the line behind me grew longer.
I sat in suspense for more than twenty minutes. When they finally closed the door, I realized I had finally locked the window seat. If I had booked economy and paid the extra seat selection fee, the seat would actually be worth five hundred and twenty dollars.
Saving $160 compared to economy, I bought poké from Tamura Market for my parents, sister, and me.
Basic economy is the best way to save money
My seatmate was also able to stay comfortably in his seat, which is not always guaranteed in economy class. She leaned a lot towards me, but it didn’t matter. She flew to Hawaii alone to celebrate her thirtieth birthday.
I’d love to use the hilarious “can I see you” suggested by billionaire investor Bill Ackman, but there’s no need. We ended up naturally talking about her ten-day plans in Hawaii, her move from Ukraine five years ago, how she enjoyed living in San Francisco’s Richmond District, and my grand plans to surprise my dad.
This flight turned out to be one of my most enjoyable travel experiences, especially since I miscalculated the time difference due to daylight saving time. I thought we still had an hour of flight time, so waking up from a nap and realizing we’d landed early felt like a bonus.
Basic economy ended up being the clear winner. Honestly, after this experience, I’m not sure any level of income or wealth would allow me to regularly pay for first class again. Paying for four first-class seats for my whole family felt even more extreme.
Being under six feet tall is awesome. In addition to possible longevity benefits, it can be installed comfortably in almost any seat while saving money.
Looking for the next painful try
After this painful but lucky but ultimately failed attempt, I may need to find new ways to strengthen myself again. Maybe I should teach my kids tennis so I can save $160 an hour in private lessons and endure the occasional tantrum. Oh wait, I already did that.
Finally, I realized that basic economy also had its thrills that I enjoyed.
As much as I’d love to be in the middle seat, it’s never guaranteed. There’s always the chance you’ll get lucky and end up with an aisle seat, or you might get the dreaded middle seat. If you like gambling or investing, there’s a little excitement in store. You may suffer or you may be lucky.
Do you feel lucky? I do this all the time, so I like to try it.
Readers, what are your thoughts on flying basic economy? The price is so low, why don’t you give it a try? Do you have any thoughts about first world suffering that might help me or others strengthen themselves and increase our appreciation for life? How much money do you need to earn to buy a first-class seat with confidence?
Subscribe to Financial Samurai
Pick up a copy of the USA Today national bestseller, Millionaire Milestones: Easily Reach Seven Figures. I’ve combined over 30 years of financial experience to help you accumulate more wealth than 94% of people and get out of your shell faster.
Listen and subscribe to the Financial Samurai Podcast apple or Spotify. I interview experts in their fields and discuss some of the most interesting topics on this site. Thank you for sharing, rating and commenting.
To accelerate your journey to financial freedom, join over 60,000 others and subscribe Free Financial Samurai Newsletter. You can also have my posts sent to your email inbox as soon as they are published Register here. Founded in 2009, Financial Samurai is one of the largest independent personal finance websites. All content is written based on first-hand experience and expertise.
