Swiss International Airlines - Swiss Business Saver

Now the April changes concerning booking class P will enter into effect next week, I guess the Business Saver will continue booking into P (although the 2000 miles per flight are still mentioned on the Swiss website for flights after Sept 1), so that the number of miles we can earn with a round trip connecting in Switzerland will be reduced from 10000 to 3750 miles. There are regular Economy fares that also bring the same number of miles and are considerably cheaper.

Is this the end of the Business Saver fares? Or are there still Flyertalkers that will continue booking this fare?

Business Saver fares from LUX usually cost around 500-550 Euro. I think I will not pay that money any more for only 3750 miles.

The problem is that more and more fares are booking into P class. Z class fares (1250 miles per segment) are very hard to come by.

I have the feeling that starting September the majority of people sitting in continental business are those that are on an intercontinental connection flight in C or F.

The miles were the only reason for me to use the saver. I don't see any other advantage of a business class flight within Europe.

I see also on same LH and LX fares, that when u book intercontinental fly in F or Business , same of tickets have in europe P class and then Z or C or D. Crazy. Maybe they will change all system from september.
Or its new idea of Lufthansa. Send U in First but give u miles in Europe like for eco.

For me personally it's the end of the Business Saver.
Have a flight in September with LX which I would have paid the Business Saver. But not anymore, this penny wise pound foolish approach of LH/M&M is quite an amazing harakiri IMO.

They cut the earnings as if we didn't pay any YQ on redemptions...

And I expect more stupid decisions to be taken based on the loss of revenue of Business Savers. Wait for Xmas time when a full quarter is impacted.


GBM

Indeed, a very stupid decision. Quite a difference, even more if you include the Mychoice promo.

I don't see any reason to use the business saver fare anymore - I'll be going in economy unless I'm connecting onto a long haul flight.

I'm currently looking to book a business flight to the US in November, and most of the sub £3000 fares are coming in as P. It looks to me like they have just replaced the Z fare with the P fare, and moved the cost of Z up to a similar cost as J and C. I'm guessing that the marketing department thought that it would be better to create a new fare class than just devaluing Z to 100%.

As most of my long haul is in Z, it will probably be the end of me using LH group airlines. I'm even considering going back to Sky Team starting next year.

Totally agree with the previous posters. I used to buy these Business Saver tickets frequently, mainly to re-qualify for SEN status, but with the change in mileage earning they completely lost their appeal.

Shame really, as LX is loosing out on additional revenue...

They are going to see a lot of people like us departing for other carriers. Like the previous posts I used the LX saver to run up miles. within europe I will just fly Y and long haul - I will have to examine my options carefully, but certainly will use a lot of *alliance metal. I wonder how long LH will go before they realise that this was a mistake.

Interestingly LX already started a promotion and offers 50% off on Business Savers.

Paying 75-100 CHF one-way to get 750 (HON)-Miles is an ok ratio even though it gets you nowhere to achieve a status.

I've just booked a business class ticket ZRH-PRG for October because of the business saver promotion, although only one leg.
I do feel a little hard done by on the miles front, but I do quite like the attention you get in business class, as long as I'm not paying ridiculous amounts..

Pssst.... This is not really business class :)

Totally agree with the previous posters. I used to buy these Business Saver tickets frequently, mainly to re-qualify for SEN status, but with the change in mileage earning they completely lost their appeal.

Shame really, as LX is loosing out on additional revenue...

I'm banging an old drum, but LX already faced up to revenue loss when it took the UK off its business-saver routes. This happened a year or so back. Their reasoning was something impenetrable about travel agents not liking the arrangement. No doubt the value gained from happier TAs offset a drop in average yield on UK routes.

Until then I'd been happy to fly to MAD (etc) via ZRH. But without the additional miles in return for the reasonable price supplement, I now take the cheapest or most direct flights.

I've just booked a business class ticket ZRH-PRG for October because of the business saver promotion, although only one leg.
I do feel a little hard done by on the miles front, but I do quite like the attention you get in business class, as long as I'm not paying ridiculous amounts..


Edit: Nevermind, found it, the promo is for flights originating in Switzerland.

How did you get the discounted business saver price? On Swiss.com it stills shows me upgrades for the old prices.

Edit: Nevermind, found it, the promo is for flights originating in Switzerland.

How did you get the discounted business saver price? On Swiss.com it stills shows me upgrades for the old prices.

Pay attention to the travel dates (http://www.swiss.com/countries/CH/en/local_content/Pages/swiss_business_upgrade_europe.aspx?WT.ac=PRESENTER _CH_EN_29082012_0005_POS2_Business+Upgrade+Europe&WT.ad=PRESENTER_CH_EN_29082012_0005_POS2_Business+ Upgrade+Europe)
Booking period: 29.08. - 03.09.12
Travel period: 17.09. - 16.12.12
and restricted routes:
The Business Upgrade offer is not applicable on the following routes:
Dublin, Lisbon, Moscow, Basel-London, Geneva-Barcelona, within Switzerland.

I did a quick simulation ZRH-BRU rt 21SEP//28SEP and I get the correct 50% Business Saver (75CHF one way in this case)

GBM

I also used often the Business Saver that combined with mychoice was a good deal.
I have now done a couple of bookings, 4 segments each, for September in S, and it will be the same for the rest of the year. I am even contemplating other carriers.
In P, including mychoice in 2 of the 4 segments, would have yielded 6750 miles(triple miles in business class vs double in eco). Now it will be 5250 miles, but 1500 miles and a slightly better meal are not worth 260 euros IMHO.

I won't be using them anymore. But most of my intra Europe LX biz flights are part of TATL itineraries through ZRH anyway so they are basically free. Perhaps LH group will see the error of their ways by 2014 when I will be in my re-qualifying year.:)

The miles were the only reason for me to use the saver. I don't see any other advantage of a business class flight within Europe.

+1. If you are *A Gold, you get all the other advantages anyway...

(And I intentionally say "*A Gold" instead of "SEN", since there seems to be little difference these days.)

Booking class P still showing as 2,000 miles per sector today during booking process ... :rolleyes:

I do not know if it is funny, but even the Swiss booking page still shows 2000 miles as to be earned during the booking process.

Earning only the new mileage is not a nice feature. And even some 2000 or 3000 Euro fares now book into P class. That's crazy in my mind....

And even some 2000 or 3000 Euro fares now book into P class. That's crazy in my mind....

Yes- the "exceptionally discounted" part is a bit strange now. P fares are now closer to Z, Z fares much closer to D fares.

Can someone please tell me where can I find the booking class of my LX booking?

I receive an itinerary stating business / first but no booking class. The receipt stating only the amount paid.

Thank you.

When you look at the e-ticket you have received from Swiss there is also a Fare Base on it. The first letter of it is the booking class.