How Basis gets
lower fares

Ah, the magic question. And naturally, you’re looking for the magic answer.

We wish it were one trick. (Our developers wish that too.) But the truth is: Basis checks 14 different methods in parallel to try and beat the fare you’d normally pay.

Let’s look at some real examples below:

Example 1: Mileage Arbitrage (Yes, it’s compliant with airline terms)

A business class flight from JFK to London, departing May 26.

Price on AA.com: $6,734

Price on Basis: $2,212

How?

Basis AI found that the same seat could be booked using 340,000 GOL Smiles miles. GOL is a Brazilian airline—and a partner of American Airlines.

Even better: GOL sells miles directly to the public for 0.4 cents each. That means 340,000 miles cost us just $1,360.

So we’ve already saved $5,374 off the retail price.

So why did you pay $2,212—not $1,360?

That $852 difference is how Basis stays in business.

We split the savings: 80% to you, 20% to us.

Here’s how that breaks down:

Retail price: $6,734
Basis cost (340,000 GOL miles): $1,360
Total savings: $5,374
You keep 80%: $4,299
We keep 20%: $852
Final price: $1,360 + $852 = $2,212

Is this actually allowed?

Yes. Explicitly. In Brazil, the sale and purchase of airline miles is fully legal—and even common practice. It’s very different from U.S. programs, which prohibit it. GOL’s terms explicitly allow this model. The mileage trade market is so developed in Brazil that companies like MaxMilhas exist purely to facilitate it. Still skeptical? Here are a few links worth exploring:

TL;DR

We legally buy GOL miles.
We legally redeem them for your flight.
You get 80% of the savings.
We keep 20%.

Example 2: Currency Optimization via IP Address

This time, let's look at a flight on Qatar Airways from JFK to Doha on June 11th. Qatar's website shows it at $3,283.

Basis shows it for $2,938.

The savings are smaller here—but still real.

Here's what happened:

Basis AI ran a geo-pricing check and found that if the booking is made from an IP address in Cairo and paid for in Egyptian Pounds, the fare drops to $2,873.

After our standard 20% savings share, the final price we offer is $2,938. Again—this is completely allowed.

There are no restrictions on what country or currency a flight must be purchased in. Airlines do this to price fares differently in different regions—and Basis simply knows how to take advantage of that.

Example 3: Instant Upgrades

Here's another lesser-known trick: instant upgrades.

Airlines often discount upgrades from economy to business class—especially to upsell budget travelers without undercutting premium pricing.

Here's how Basis AI works it:

Finds a cheap economy fare
Creates a PNR (Passenger Name Record) with the airline
Checks whether an upgrade to business class is available and how much it costs

If the math checks out, Basis builds the itinerary on the spot. Let's look at a real one:

A Lufthansa flight is listed at $5,767 in business class.

Basis offers it for $3,383.

Here's how that breaks down:

Economy ticket: $822
Upgrade to business: $1,480
Basis savings share (20%): ~$693

Final price to you? $2,995.

All automated. All working in real-time.

The bottom line

What you’ve just seen are three examples—out of 14 ways that Basis AI uses to unlock lower fares on business and first-class flights.

This isn’t about luck. It’s about engineering.

Basis was built by a team of travel pros, deal hunters, and engineers who believe that paying retail is optional—and that premium travel shouldn’t come with a premium headache.

The goal isn’t just to save you money. It’s to make the entire experience seamless. From the hidden fares we uncover, to the Concierge team that supports every booking, Basis is designed to give you something rare in travel: confidence.

No gimmicks. No workarounds. Just smart tech and real humans working on your behalf.

How Basis gets lower fares