outbound coach, return FC - Is the FC fare refundable?

[OverThereTooMuch]

I attempted to book a flight tonight where I was in coach on the outbound leg, and in FC on the return leg. When I got to the screen w/ the fare rules, AS's website said that this purchase was nonrefundable.

I assume the coach leg would be NR, but should this impact the FC leg as well?

Why I was doing this (if you care): I have one upgrade coupon. I wanted to book the return trip in FC to make sure I had a FC seat, on the very real chance that I can't find another coupon. If I got a coupon, the plan was to book a one way ticket for the return in coach, get the upgrade confirmed, then cancel the FC seat. But the website scared me

This was the first time in quite a while that I was able to find U availability on a SEA to MCO flight!

[COpltASgldPHX]

Originally Posted by OverThereTooMuch

I attempted to book a flight tonight where I was in coach on the outbound leg, and in FC on the return leg. When I got to the screen w/ the fare rules, AS's website said that this purchase was nonrefundable.

I assume the coach leg would be NR, but should this impact the FC leg as well?

Why I was doing this (if you care): I have one upgrade coupon. I wanted to book the return trip in FC to make sure I had a FC seat, on the very real chance that I can't find another coupon. If I got a coupon, the plan was to book a one way ticket for the return in coach, get the upgrade confirmed, then cancel the FC seat. But the website scared me

This was the first time in quite a while that I was able to find U availability on a SEA to MCO flight!

When booked on the same ticket the rules for the most restrictive fare apply to the whole ticket. Even one non-refundable segment will cause an otherwise refundable ticket to become non-refundable. If you think there is a chance that you may want to change or refund the return book it separately.

[jackal]

Originally Posted by COpltASgldPHX

When booked on the same ticket the rules for the most restrictive fare apply to the whole ticket. Even one non-refundable segment will cause an otherwise refundable ticket to become non-refundable. If you think there is a chance that you may want to change or refund the return book it separately.

This is a good idea and works perfectly because AS's round-trip fares are always equal to the sum of the two one-way fares. (AS simplified their fare structure a few years ago and no longer makes one-ways more expensive than round-trips and no longer requires Saturday-night stays. It's a page out of the LCC playbook.) So, there is no penalty to booking two one-ways over a single round trip, and indeed, there is a bonus: if you book it with the Alaska Airlines Signature Visa card (and possibly the Platinum too), you get the 1,000-mile online booking bonus twice (one for each booking).

There is one downside that just occurred to me, though--if you need to change both your outbound and return, it'll be a $200 change fee instead of a single $100 change fee (because you'll be changing two separate itineraries). Of course, if you're MVPG, you will avoid the change fees altogether.

[beckoa]

Originally Posted by jackal

This is a good idea and works perfectly because AS's round-trip fares are always equal to the sum of the two one-way fares. (AS simplified their fare structure a few years ago and no longer makes one-ways more expensive than round-trips and no longer requires Saturday-night stays. It's a page out of the LCC playbook.) So, there is no penalty to booking two one-ways over a single round trip, and indeed, there is a bonus: if you book it with the Alaska Airlines Signature Visa card (and possibly the Platinum too), you get the 1,000-mile online booking bonus twice (one for each booking).

There is one downside that just occurred to me, though--if you need to change both your outbound and return, it'll be a $200 change fee instead of a single $100 change fee (because you'll be changing two separate itineraries). Of course, if you're MVPG, you will avoid the change fees altogether.

Side note... when adding in partner airfares to places we'd like to see AS service... but only get AA connections these tend to price out RT cheaper then OW... probably based on AA's own archaic fare rules

[COpltASgldPHX]

Originally Posted by jackal

...There is one downside that just occurred to me, though--if you need to change both your outbound and return, it'll be a $200 change fee instead of a single $100 change fee (because you'll be changing two separate itineraries). Of course, if you're MVPG, you will avoid the change fees altogether.

WRT to the OPs situation, the outbound was a non-refudable fare but the return was a fully refundable F. If purchased on 2 tickets the outbound would incur a change fee but the return would not.

[OverThereTooMuch]

Originally Posted by jackal

This is a good idea and works perfectly because AS's round-trip fares are always equal to the sum of the two one-way fares.

That's what I thought, so I didn't understand why they would make me do 2 separate transactions. This is definitely confusing, and could use an update on their website. (One line of text that pops up that says something like COpltASgldPHX wrote "when booked on the same ticket, the most restrictive rules apply to a whole ticket."

Thanks for the quick answers everyone!

[westcoastman]

Originally Posted by OverThereTooMuch

That's what I thought, so I didn't understand why they would make me do 2 separate transactions. This is definitely confusing, and could use an update on their website. (One line of text that pops up that says something like COpltASgldPHX wrote "when booked on the same ticket, the most restrictive rules apply to a whole ticket."

Sounds like that language is very clear to me "most restrictive rules apply." I don't see them as trying to "make" you do 2 seperate transactions. They would rather see you do one transaction and have them non-changable but the two one-way method is a way to get around it and 100% not against any rules of the airline. You would not be able to do this on many airlines UA, AA, etc. because they don't price out one-way fares.

[channa]

This is pretty common. There was a thread a while back about someone on AA with a $10,000 F class int'l ticket that had a cheapie SFO-LAX appended to it, making the whole thing non-refundable.

[OverThereTooMuch]

Originally Posted by westcoastman

Sounds like that language is very clear to me "most restrictive rules apply."

Where do you see that language on AS's website? Did I just miss it?

I don't see them as trying to "make" you do 2 seperate transactions. They would rather see you do one transaction and have them non-changable

To me, it's deceptive. The list of benefits for a FC fare state that they are fully refundable. Period. No asterisk. No terms and conditions.

[ANC]

hmmm If you already purchased and wanted to cancel the return....I wonder if you could just call them up and ask to pay full fare F on the outbound...then I wonder if you could call them back up and cancel the whole thing

I know that if you want to change a flight you can ask to pay for first class when changing the flights and dont pay the change fee. I used to do it in instances(before Gold) where it would cost less than paying the change fees.

So I wonder if you paid up to F if the fare is still nonrefundable as originally purchased or does it become refundable?

[COpltASgldPHX]

Originally Posted by ANC

hmmm If you already purchased and wanted to cancel the return....I wonder if you could just call them up and ask to pay full fare F on the outbound...then I wonder if you could call them back up and cancel the whole thing

I know that if you want to change a flight you can ask to pay for first class when changing the flights and dont pay the change fee. I used to do it in instances(before Gold) where it would cost less than paying the change fees.

So I wonder if you paid up to F if the fare is still nonrefundable as originally purchased or does it become refundable?

The additional fare you pay up to the F fare is refundable. The original non-refundable portion is not. For example if I buy a PHX-SEA R/T "bargain" fare for $505.20 (yup, that's the "bargain" fare right now - I just priced it!) and later buy up to F which is $861.20, the $356 is refundable but the original $505.20 isn't.

[ANC]

Originally Posted by COpltASgldPHX

The additional fare you pay up to the F fare is refundable. The original non-refundable portion is not. For example if I buy a PHX-SEA R/T "bargain" fare for $505.20 (yup, that's the "bargain" fare right now - I just priced it!) and later buy up to F which is $861.20, the $356 is refundable but the original $505.20 isn't.

ahh ok so thats how they handle that

[Seat 7D]

Originally Posted by jackal

This is a good idea and works perfectly because AS's round-trip fares are always equal to the sum of the two one-way fares. (AS simplified their fare structure a few years ago and no longer makes one-ways more expensive than round-trips and no longer requires Saturday-night stays. It's a page out of the LCC playbook.) So, there is no penalty to booking two one-ways over a single round trip, and indeed, there is a bonus: if you book it with the Alaska Airlines Signature Visa card (and possibly the Platinum too), you get the 1,000-mile online booking bonus twice (one for each booking).

There is one downside that just occurred to me, though--if you need to change both your outbound and return, it'll be a $200 change fee instead of a single $100 change fee (because you'll be changing two separate itineraries). Of course, if you're MVPG, you will avoid the change fees altogether.

I haven't booked a roundtrip in years because of this promotion (except the BofA discount, which requires it). The booking bonus is my number one source of miles. Yes, it would double the change fees if you had to change both tickets. Fortunately, I've never had to do it. But I would probably still come out ahead with the huge number of miles I've racked up.

[ANC]

Originally Posted by Seat 7D

I haven't booked a roundtrip in years because of this promotion (except the BofA discount, which requires it). The booking bonus is my number one source of miles. Yes, it would double the change fees if you had to change both tickets. Fortunately, I've never had to do it. But I would probably still come out ahead with the huge number of miles I've racked up.

Even better when you have to change a flight and find out the fare went up $15 or so. Pay the $15 with the BofA and walla 1,000 miles the same amount received for a $500 one way but of course you earn the 3 miles per $ on the purchase but still nice.

[missydarlin]

Originally Posted by COpltASgldPHX

When booked on the same ticket the rules for the most restrictive fare apply to the whole ticket. Even one non-refundable segment will cause an otherwise refundable ticket to become non-refundable.

Not true at all.

This used to be somewhat the case when Round-Trip fares were published, but now that all fares are one-way, and have been for a few years, then it is absolutely not the case.