Fare Rules & Restrictions

Effective date: May 7, 2026

Every airline ticket has a set of "fare rules" that govern what you can and can't do with it. Here's how to read them.

Key terms

• Fare basis code, a short code like L2WNR or YFLEX that identifies the specific fare. The letters before and after encode cabin, seasonality, advance-purchase requirements, and more.
• Changeable, whether you can change dates/times/routing and what it costs. Many post-2022 fares are "change for the price difference" rather than "change for a fixed fee."
• Refundable, whether the fare can be cancelled for a refund to original payment. If "non-refundable" the only option after the DOT 24-hour window is usually travel credit, and then only if the airline allows cancellation at all.
• Standby eligibility, whether you can fly on an earlier or later flight the same day without rebooking.
• Mileage accrual, whether the fare earns frequent-flyer miles (basic-economy fares often don't or earn a fraction).

Basic economy (what to watch for)

Basic-economy fares trade savings for restrictions. The usual pattern:

• No seat selection before check-in (or expensive if offered).
• No overhead carry-on bag on some airlines.
• No changes permitted at all.
• Last to board, middle seats, no upgrades.

If flexibility matters, step up one fare class. The difference is often smaller than the change-fee you'd pay later.

Codeshares

A "codeshare" flight is sold by one airline but operated by another (e.g. American Airlines 123 operated by British Airways). Your fare rules usually come from the marketing carrier, but check-in, baggage allowance, and seat selection belong to the operating carrier.

Reading Aviafares's fare-rule summary

On every fare detail page we show a plain-English summary:

• ✓ Checked bag included / ✗ Not included
• ✓ Changes allowed / ✗ No changes / ↕ Changes for a fee
• ✓ Refundable / ✗ Non-refundable

The underlying airline rules text is available on request, email our booking team for the full airline-supplied rules.