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Booking a flight used to be simple. Travelers had the option of booking a seat in either economy or first class. However, more recently, airlines like American Airlines have focused on "product segmentation" — adding fare classes and cabins in an effort to maximize revenue.
Now, travelers have seemingly endless fare options when trying to book a flight. Should you book basic economy or "Main Cabin" — American Airlines' new term for a standard economy ticket? And what the heck is Main Plus? Let's dig into the American Airlines class codes, fare classes and more so you can make sense of it all.
American Airlines booking classes
American Airlines uses the following booking classes for revenue (non-award) fares:
- Basic economy: B.
- Main Cabin: O, Q, N, S, G, V, M, L, K, H, Y.
- Premium economy: P, W.
- Business class: I, R, D, C, J.
- First class: A, F.
You'll notice that there aren't separate booking fare classes for Main Cabin Extra, Main Plus, Main Select or Flagship Business Plus as these are just add-on packages on top of the standard fare in that cabin.
» Learn more: Business class vs. first class on American Airlines
American Airlines fare classes
American Airlines currently offers at least 11 different fare classes:
- First class (domestic).
- Business class (short-haul international).
- Main Select.
- Main Plus.
🤓 Nerdy Tip
You can do a deeper dive into the fare classes in our full guide on American Airlines seat selection. Not every flight is going to have all of these classes. For example, a domestic U.S. flight will typically offer first class, Main Cabin Extra and Main Cabin seating — with basic economy, Main Plus and maybe even Main Select fares sold on that flight.
Meanwhile, an international flight on American Airlines' flagship Boeing 777-300ER will offer Flagship first class, Flagship business class, premium economy, Main Cabin Extra and Main Cabin seating — typically with basic economy, Main Plus, and sometimes Main Select fares sold in the Main Cabin and the option to buy Flagship Business Plus in business class.
» Learn more: American Airlines' basic economy vs. Main Cabin
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American Airlines different classes of economy fares
Almost every American Airlines flight offers Main Cabin Extra, Main Cabin and basic economy fares. There are also two fare options — Main Plus and Main Select — that give you access to Main Cabin Extra seats and a few other perks.
So, let's break down the differences between these American Airlines economy fare classes:
| Fare Class | Basic economy | Main Cabin | Main Cabin Extra | Main Plus | Main Select |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Changes allowed | No. | Yes, with no fee. | Yes, with no fee. | Yes, with no fee. | Fully refundable. |
| Seat selection | For a fee. | Free for standard seats. | Complimentary for any extra-legroom seat. | Complimentary access to Main Cabin Extra and Preferred seats. | Complimentary access to Main Cabin Extra and Preferred seats. |
| Carry-on bag | 1 personal item and 1 carry-on. | 1 personal item and 1 carry-on. | 1 personal item and 1 carry-on. | 1 personal item and 1 carry-on. | 1 personal item and 1 carry-on. |
| Boarding group (out of 9 groups) | Group 9 (Group 8 on certain international flights). | Group 7 and 8. | Group 5. | Group 5. | Group 4. |
| Alcoholic drinks | Available for purchase. | Available for purchase. | Complimentary beer, wine and spirits. | Complimentary beer, wine and spirits, when you select a Main Cabin Extra seat. | Complimentary beer, wine and spirits, when you select a Main Cabin Extra seat. |
| Eligible for upgrades | Yes. | Yes. | Yes. | Yes. | Yes. |
| Base mileage earnings | 2 miles per dollar. | 5 miles per dollar. | 5 miles per dollar. | 5 miles per dollar. | 5 miles per dollar. |
Compared to other airlines — looking at you, United Airlines — American Airlines' basic economy isn't as punitive. Basic economy passengers still get a full-size carry-on bag, are able to purchase seats from the time of booking and AAdvantage elites are still eligible for upgrades to first class.
However, American Airlines passengers earn 60% fewer miles when booking a basic economy seat compared to a Main Cabin fare. Plus, you won't be able to change your booking (although you can cancel it).
Purchasing a Main Cabin fare gets you a higher mileage earning rate, free changes (though a fare difference may apply), free seat selection and a slightly earlier boarding group. However, your seat and in-flight experience will be the same — unless you purchase a Main Cabin Extra seat.
Main Cabin Extra technically isn't a different fare class. Instead, you score a couple of extra perks by purchasing a "Main Cabin Extra" extra-legroom seat — or selecting it for free if you have AAdvantage elite status. In addition to extra legroom, perks include an earlier boarding group and complimentary beer, wine and spirits. However, you still generally get the same seat type and service as Main Cabin.
Main Plus is essentially a fare class package that adds a free checked bag and Main Cabin Extra benefits on top of a standard Main Cabin allowance.
Likewise, Main Select is a different type of fare package that makes your fare fully refundable, bumps you up to Group 4 priority boarding and lets you make confirmed flight changes on the day of departure. However, you don't get a free checked bag with this option.
Why do American Airlines class codes matter?
If you booked basic economy, you'll earn a base of 2 miles per eligible dollar spent. Otherwise, you'll earn a base of 5 AAdvantage miles per dollar spent. And AAdvantage elites earn a bonus on top of those base earning rates.
However, your booking class matters more if you booked a special fare (e.g. as part of a package), plan to apply a mileage upgrade or plan to credit your flight to another mileage program. In these cases, your American Airlines class codes will determine how many miles you earn or how much your upgrade will cost.
» Learn more: How to know how many miles you’ll earn from a flight
How do I find my fare class on American Airlines?
When you’re shopping for a ticket on American, the fare classes are listed under "Details" under each departure time.
Click the "Details" button and a screen will pop up with class code info, broken out by ticket type.
For example, in the screenshot above, the main cabin fare from the flight above is in the M fare bucket.
How to earn AAdvantage miles quickly
You can stock up on miles for booking American flights by applying for one of the following cards and meeting the requirements for the welcome offer.
Cards for booking American flights
Annual fee
- $99, waived for the first 12 months
- $95
- $95
Still not sure?
If you're a loyalist, applying for an American Airlines credit card can be a smart money move. But if you value flexibility, consider other card options that allow you to transfer points to AAdvantage or book American flights without "chaining" you to a single brand.
- AAdvantage is a partner of Marriott Bonvoy. You can transfer points to American from the hotel brand at a 3:1 ratio.
- Because both American and Alaska Airlines belong to the Oneworld alliance, members in either program can use their miles to book flights with either brand.
Unfortunately, AAdvantage is not a transfer partner of any of the major bank / transferable points programs (Chase, American Express, Capital One or Citi).
(Top photo courtesy of American Airlines)
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2026:
- Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
- Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
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