How basis makes money

We believe transparency goes both ways. You should always know exactly what you're paying for—and how we earn our keep. So, here it is.

First, how we don’t make money:

  • We don’t sell your data. Ever.
  • We don’t run ads on our search engine.
  • We don’t push shady travel insurance just to make a commission.

So how do we make money?

Simple: we only make money when we save you money.

Our model is designed to align with your interests. We take a share of the savings we generate for you—nothing more. That’s what keeps us motivated to keep finding you better fares.

Let’s break it down.

Example 1:

You’re flying business class from Chicago to Tokyo.

United.com shows the fare at $5,267, as seen here:

United.com Example 1

Basis shows the exact same flight for $4,477.

Basis Example 1

You save $790.

That means we actually secured the fare for about $900 less than the airline’s price. We keep 20% of the savings—about $158 in this case—and you keep the rest.

We may also receive a small airline commission (around $280), which helps cover our search engine costs.

Example 2:

A last-minute business class flight from Chicago to London is listed at $6,916 on United’s website:

United.com Example 2

Basis finds the same seat for $2,863.

Basis Example 2

You save $4,053.

That means the actual fare was around $1,900. We earned 20% of the savings—$810—and you kept the rest. We also earn an airline commission here, roughly $200.

That’s it

No fine print. No hidden fees.

We only profit when we find you a better deal. If you're curious how we get access to these lower fares, read this.