Pay Close Attention to Airline Ticket Codes

You usually pay attention to the flight number, the gate number and the boarding time on your airline ticket. But now you should also pay attention to the airline ticket codes. Below is a list of the most common fare codes. The fare code usually appears as the first letter of a longer mixture of numbers and letters.

Common Airline Codes

* A – First Class Discounted
* B – Coach Economy Discounted
* C – Business Class
* D – Business Class Discounted
* F – First Class
* H – Coach Economy Discounted
* J – Business Class Premium
* K – Thrift
* L – Thrift Discounted
* M – Coach Economy Discounted
* P – First Class Premium
* Q – Coach Economy
* R – Supersonic
* S – Standard Class
* T – Coach Economy Discounted
* V – Thrift Discounted
* W – Coach Economy Premium

Why should you care? The codes were created to allow airlines to make more money per ticket. These codes alert airline attendants basically to how much you paid for your ticket, and as you can see the higher the fare code the better.

A higher code means you have less chance of getting bumped off of a flight. You may also receive more frequent flier miles than someone with a lower code.

Your fare code is also an important factor if you want to upgrade your ticket. Some lower fare codes are not eligible for upgrades.

Experts caution travelers to pay close attention to the fare code on tickets that you purchase on auctions sites like Hotwire and Priceline, because you may not be able to see all of the flight information on the ticket before you book the reservation. These tickets are often ineligible for upgrades or frequent flier miles. This may also be the case when purchasing airline tickets through a travel agent.

Now if you still want to purchase cheap tickets, and don’t want to pay high prices for your flight, the best way to give yourself some leverage against being bumped off of a flight is to check in early.

Airlines still prioritize passengers by check-in order. Make a habit of checking in for your flight online 24 hours before departure time. You can also check your baggage online and drop them off at the counter when you arrive. It is also important to check in at the boarding gate ticket counter at least one hour prior to your flight’s departure. If you check in early online and don’t show up until fifteen minutes before the flight takes off, you have just lost all of your leverage.

So if flexibility is important to you when you travel, pay close attention to the airline ticket codes on your ticket. And if you prefer to purchase discount tickets, buy your airline tickets well in advance, check in online at least 24 hours ahead of your flight, and check in at the gate at least one hour prior to departure.

Now Take Off!