Fare basis code

A fare basis code (often just referred to as a fare basis) is an alpha or alpha-numeric code used by airlines to identify a fare type and allow airline staff and travel agents to find the rules applicable to that fare. Fare codes starts with a single letter, called a booking code or class, which matches the letter code that the reservation is booked in. Other letters or numbers may follow, typically a fare basic will be 3 to 7 characters long.^[1]

Commonly used codes

Although airlines now set their own fare basis codes, there are some patterns that have evolved over the years and may still be in use.

The first character is always a letter, and will match the booking code. Booking codes are the identifiers given by the airlines "revenue management" department, and allow the airline to control how many seats can be sold at a particular fare level.

Booking codes used to be standardized, and were defined by the IATA. However, airlines have deviated from the IATA standard and current booking codes are airline specific. The same code may have quite different meanings for tickets issued by different airlines. Nevertheless, certain booking codes have fairly standardized meanings across nearly all airlines, and have had these meanings for many years:

• F: first class
• J: business class
• Y: economy class

A more recent edition is "Premium Economy", intended as a mix of Economy and Business class features. The letter W is often used for this level.

References

1. Gorham, G, Todd, G., Rice, S (2001). Travel Perspectives: A Guide to Becoming a Travel Professional. Thomson Delmar Learning.