As we headed home (California, my family) for the holidays, I had the brilliant idea to save a few bucks and take advantage of some cancelled flight credits to fly on United. It was the cheapest Christmas flights with halfway decent schedule, single connection. Really how bad can Basic Economy be, right? How different can the experience be? While basic economy doesn’t have to be terrible, it’s essentially the opposite of the experiences you want in a flying experience. You’re typically in the worst seats, with limited or no ability to select. You want carry on bags? Better pony up.…