What's the deal with Economy Light / Economy Basic?

I'm trying to book a flight to visit the US.  When I went in May 2018 I don't recall there being such choices.  In December 2018 there were, but I ignored them because I couldn't really only travel with hand luggage and didn't want to be separated from my husband during the flight.  This time I'm travelling alone and I have no need to take anything other than hand luggage (I mean, it'd be nice, but at an extra £50-100 each way...).

I fly to Atlanta, which is a base for both Delta and BA so I have no real need to have lay-overs.  I hate them.  I  feel like I always miss my plane or that's the moment my bank chooses to stop my cards and I'm left to wander hungry and without money for 3 hours watching other people eat.  But I'm probably exaggerating.

The airlines make the basic economy sound so scary.  No picking seats before check-in.  I couldn't ever do that more than 24 hours in advance anyway.  No checked bags.  Whatever, the airline will over book and it'll force me to gate checked anyhow.  And premium economy has access to in-flight entertainment, blah blah blah.  To my knowledge all the planes Delta, BA and Virgin use have screens on the backs of the seats.  Do they tear them out if someone books the economy light?

What's the real difference?  The actual things that matter difference?  Do flight attendants ignore me because they know I've cheaped out?  Or deny me access to the loos?  Not serve me food?  (I prefer Pret anyhow.)  Do all the dancing people in the Virgin adverts not visit my area?  Please help me figure out if it's worth it to save £150 and be a 4th class citizen!

Honestly, as far as I can tell, the only differences between Economy Basic/Light and regular economy are:
- can’t choose your seat in advance
- no checked baggage included

The service on the plane itself is the same, though you might end up in a seat near the back of the plane.

I see it as similar to flying with EasyJet and other European airlines, where you just get hand luggage and can’t choose your seat, and get no free food, but you can pay extra if you want food, checked bags, priority check-in or to choose your seats.


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Oh, and in 2017, we did the equivalent of Economy Basic with Cathay Pacific from London to Japan and Hong Kong, though we did get checked luggage.

The service was as normal on the flights, we just couldn’t book seats in advance and were sitting near the back of the plane.


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Ah ha!
I thought so, but the wording had me all concerned.  Thank you for clearing it up!

We recently flew our normal route of Gatwick to Tampa and they had refitted the planes.  Great new screens in economy.  Truly the only difference is the checked bag and picking a seat 24 hours prior to departure.  Benefits stop and end there.  If you need to check a bag, it's really the only option.  But if you don't need to check a bag, go with the cheapest seat. 

I'm just back.  I can happily confirm that there was no difference.  In fact I got better seats than I normally do.

I booked through Delta on their Basic Economy from LON to ATL.  The cheapest route was LHR to ATL direct, and ATL to MCO (Orlando), MCO to LGW on the way back.

On the LON to ATL I was placed in the Economy Comfort section.  Whatever that means.  But closer to the front of the plane than I normally sit and they said the seat were a bit larger.

On the way back when I checked in the flights I had normal seats, but fine, nothing I'd complain about really.  The system assigned them and I couldn't have done better myself.
The ATL to MCO flight was super late due to storms.  I spoke to the pilot - we were all loitering about after a 1.5 hour delay and he was the first who asked if he could help me.  I explained that due to the estimated 2 hour delay I'd miss my flight from MCO to LGW and that that was the last one on that day.  Rather than them sorting me out in Orlando with hotel and new flight could I please either just stay the night with family in Atlanta or catch 1 of the 3 ATL to LON flights still due to leave that day.  The pilot got ground crew and ground crew arranged to bump me to later, but direct flight.  I was again placed in Economy Comfort in the very first seat with huge amounts of leg room.  Yay!!!

The ATL to MCO flight actually ended up leaving 4 hr and 8 minutes late that day.  I'm so glad I finally asked after they pushed back our departure by an hour the second time.  It was having only a carry on (thank you, being cheap!) that allowed me to get off that ATL to MCO flight and on to a different direct flight.