Frequently asked questions

You noticed we’re always cheaper than booking direct—sometimes by 40% or more. And now you’re wondering: How?

Here’s the short version: Basis checks a ridiculous number of booking methods—most of which normal flight sites don’t touch.

Things like:

1. Tour fares — private rates only available through agents (like us).
2. Point-of-sale hacking — booking through Cairo or India can cut costs, just by changing the “origin” of the purchase.
3. IP-based pricing — fares change depending on where you book from. We pick the best spot.
4. Special fare types — think seaman, missionary, student, and net fares. All totally legit. All deeply discounted.

We stitch it together behind the scenes. You just see the lowest price.

Only when we save you money.

Here’s how it works: when we find a cheaper way to book, we pass 80% of the savings to you—and keep 20% for ourselves.

Let’s say a fare on United is $4,000. We’re offering it for $3,200—and you book it. You saved $800. We made $200. Everyone wins.

Both. We combine the convenience of a powerful search engine with the service of a world-class travel agency.

At our core, we're a customer service company—built on technology, but driven by people.

Basis searches every airline on the planet when you run a search. But that doesn’t mean you’ll see every result.

For example, Lufthansa might publish a business class fare from the U.S. to Japan via Europe—but if it’s twice the price and takes three times longer than a direct flight on Japan Airlines or United, we won’t show it.

Our goal is to surface the best flights, not every flight.

Yes—but only when it makes sense.

If there's a full business class option for the same price (or close), we won’t clutter your results with mixed-cabin options.

But if the price difference is significant—say, $3,000—we'll show both so you can decide.

We don’t sell economy tickets (mostly because there really aren’t any great ways to reduce the price for you. And in the select use cases there are, it would only result in savings of $20-50. Not material compared to our average savings of over $1,000 when booking a business class ticket through Basis.)

The vast majority of tickets we sell—around 95%—are in business class. Why? Because first class often costs 3–4× more, with only a modest step up in comfort.

That said, if you’re in the mood to splurge, here’s what first class usually gets you:

• Private dining — not just a buffet, but a full à la carte menu in a dedicated space.
• Elevated service — more crew per passenger means more attention and care.
• More privacy — most first-class seats come with a door, plus extra space to stretch out.

It’s not always worth it—but when it is, you’ll know.

In most cases, business class tickets booked through Basis aren’t eligible for upgrades to first class.

That said, some airlines may offer a paid upgrade at check-in or within their app—so it’s always worth checking once your flight is confirmed.

No account required. We built Basis to make booking business and first class as easy as possible—and that means no signups, no passwords, no friction. Just search, book, and go.

No—your card will only be authorized at checkout to confirm it’s valid. You’ll be charged only once your ticket is issued and confirmed with a PNR and ticket number, at the exact price you booked.

Not at the moment. But you can always book the flight you want and cancel within 24 hours—free of charge.

Not at the moment. That said, we love building features our customers actually want—so if this is something you'd use, let us know at heretohelp@flybasis.com.

Currently, we support one-way and roundtrip bookings directly online. For multi-city trips, reach out to our team—we’ll help craft a custom itinerary that fits your needs.

Right now, all payments are processed in USD.

If you’d prefer to pay in another currency, just reach out to Basis Concierge at (877)‑640‑2699—we’re happy to help.

We accept all major credit cards, including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover.

Yes, most of the time we permit third party payments. However, since these have a higher risk profile for us we may decline these bookings at our discretion or limit them on certain routes that are more prone to fraud.

In most cases, you’ll receive your PNR within a few hours and can view your booking directly on the airline’s website.

Some airlines take longer to issue the final e-ticket, so in rare cases, it may take up to 24 hours to receive your full ticket confirmation.

Yes—every ticket comes with a valid PNR that you can use to view your booking directly on the airline’s website.

That said, Basis Concierge is always available to handle everything for you, from seat selection to meal preferences and more.

Once your ticket is confirmed, a Basis Concierge will reach out with a seat map and take care of the selection for you.

Prefer to choose on your own? You can always enter your PNR on the airline’s website and pick your seats directly.

Yes—Basis Concierge will make sure your loyalty number is added, so you can earn miles and status credit when eligible.

If the airline updates your schedule or delays your flight, we’ll notify you by email.

For major changes—like delays over 3 hours—you’ll also get a text from Basis Concierge with next steps or rebooking options.

If your flight is delayed, our concierge team will rebook you on the best available option to get you to your destination as smoothly as possible.

If your flight is canceled, we’ll handle the refund process directly with the airline and pass the full amount back to you.

If you can’t travel due to a personal emergency, reach out to Basis Concierge. While not all fares are refundable, we’ll advocate on your behalf with the airline—and help explore any rebooking or credit options.

It depends on the fare rules of the ticket you book. You’ll see those rules clearly displayed at the bottom of the checkout page before you pay.

If your fare is changeable, we’ll only charge you whatever the airline charges—nothing more. Since we’ve already made our margin on the original ticket, there’s no reason for us to add extra fees (unlike most third parties).

Most fares are non-refundable, but in many cases, you can cancel and receive a future flight credit.

We know it’s not the exact answer you were hoping for—but the truth is, airfare rules vary by airline, route, and fare class. That’s why we always recommend reviewing the specific policy shown at checkout.

Basis Concierge is our elevated take on customer support—designed for premium travel.

As soon as you book, our team steps in to handle the essentials: seat assignments, meal preferences, TSA PreCheck numbers, and more.

But it doesn’t stop there. Need an airport transfer? A hotel recommendation? We’re here for that too. Just ask.

Absolutely! We love to help.

You’ll find a dedicated support line in your confirmation email and on your trip page—plus the option to text us directly anytime.

Yes, Basis Concierge, our 24/7 support team is available 24/7. You can find our contact number on your post booking confirmation email or on your trip page.

Yes—Basis Concierge can assist with premium add-ons like private airport transfers, hotel recommendations, and more. While flights are our specialty, we’re happy to help where we can.

Totally fair. Most third parties deserve the bad rep.

But here’s the thing: we actually agree—you should book direct with the airline. And that’s exactly what Basis does.

All the fare-lowering methods we use—like changing the booking IP or point of sale—still result in a ticket issued directly by the airline. No shady resellers. No middlemen.

So when you book through us, you’re effectively booking direct. You just get a better price.

Yes—your information is protected with industry-standard security. Basis is PCI compliant, which means your payment data is securely encrypted and stored. We also undergo regular security audits to keep everything locked down and up to date.

Yes—Basis has verified reviews on Trustpilot, Facebook, Reddit, Instagram, and even in video form.

You can view them all here. We believe trust is earned, so we invite you to see what real travelers have shared about their experience with us.