Which airlines sell 'basic' first and business-class fares? What to know before you book

United Airlines was the first U.S. carrier to sell a basic business fare, followed by Delta Air Lines, with JetBlue becoming the third U.S. carrier to offer such a fare.

A basic business fare on United’s Polaris cabin and Delta’s Delta One cabin does not include lounge access, and passengers cannot select seats or make itinerary changes. JetBlue plans to introduce similarly stripped‑down fares when it launches its new domestic first‑class cabin later this year, while basic economy fares have been sold widely by U.S. airlines for close to a decade.