Airfare Code Explanations

You are happy with your advance purchase airline ticket till you find that the passenger seated next to you paid substantially less. You may wonder how two passengers traveling in the same class, seated on the same row even, could have paid different fares. Look at the airfare code for an explanation.

What Are Airfare Codes

Airfare codes comprise a string of letters and numbers printed on an e-ticket or a paper ticket. The first letter is the class of travel. The rest of the string gives information on restrictions and upgrades.

Class of Travel

The standard used to be three classes of travel: first, business and economy. Many airlines have now added a fourth class: premium economy or economy plus.

First and Business Class Codes

The following letters are used for first class: F for unrestricted first, A and P for restricted, discounted tickets. C and J are unrestricted business class codes, D stands for a discounted ticket.

Economy Codes

Full fare economy is coded Y. Standard economy is M or B and economy codes with many restrictions have many different letter designates.

Significance

The code tells the whole story: fare paid, date booked, restricted or not, eligible for upgrade, rank on a waiting list. Some fare codes do not allow miles rewarded, others give a bonus of miles. This short string of letters provides so much information.

References

• USATodayTravel: What You Need to Know About Your Airline Fare Code
• The University of Tennessee: Airline Airfare Codes
• Yale University: Typical Class of Service Codes