AS to Introduce "Saver Fares" (Basic Economy), End Fee Waivers and Add Fees
Apr 23, 2018, 3:37 pm
#32
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,394
In my experience in SEA, AS and WN always price match on competitive routes, and there's a lot of them.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattl...p_destinations
4 of the top 10 airports for SEA, and for some others (SMF, OAK), SEA is a top 10 destination for the OTHER airport.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattl...p_destinations
4 of the top 10 airports for SEA, and for some others (SMF, OAK), SEA is a top 10 destination for the OTHER airport.
Apr 23, 2018, 4:23 pm
#33
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SGF
Programs: AS, AA, UA, AGR S (former 75K, GLD, 1K, and S+, now an elite peon)
Posts: 23,195
No sooner was AS announced as "Best Rewards Program" (FlyerTalk Awards 2018 winners announced on usatoday.com) than they had to go and screw it up.
From an AS blog post published last week (https://blog.alaskaair.com/alaska-ai...touching-down/) that I just read last night:
I guess that was a load of crap.
From an AS blog post published last week (https://blog.alaskaair.com/alaska-ai...touching-down/) that I just read last night:
Like most things at Alaska, we do things a little differently – with you in mind.
Apr 23, 2018, 4:53 pm
#35
Join Date: Jun 2005
Programs: AS MVPG
Posts: 2,209
Even if that ends up being true, that's $20 more than what you would have had to pay before they introduced this.
I'll reserve some judgment until they announce details. But there is less and less reasons for me to stick around with Alaska now.
I'll reserve some judgment until they announce details. But there is less and less reasons for me to stick around with Alaska now.
Apr 23, 2018, 4:55 pm
#36
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 83
"Going forward (and I don’t have the exact date on this yet), those fees will apply after the 24-hour purchase window has expired. Alaska describes this as “ending change fee waivers”, but in practice this is the addition of a $125 change/cancellation fee to both paid and award tickets.
Alaska MVP Gold and Gold 75k members will continue to have these fees waived."
Apr 23, 2018, 4:58 pm
#37
Join Date: May 2005
Location: SEA
Programs: AS; Hyatt Globalist; Hilton Gold; NEXUS
Posts: 979
No sooner was AS announced as "Best Rewards Program" (FlyerTalk Awards 2018 winners announced on usatoday.com) than they had to go and screw it up.
From an AS blog post published last week (https://blog.alaskaair.com/alaska-ai...touching-down/) that I just read last night:
I guess that was a load of crap.
From an AS blog post published last week (https://blog.alaskaair.com/alaska-ai...touching-down/) that I just read last night:
I guess that was a load of crap.
The winner in this category almost always goes south shortly thereafter.
Apr 23, 2018, 5:40 pm
#38
Join Date: Mar 2018
Programs: Alaska
Posts: 10
This trend of smaller and larger take aways for elites is getting to be a real bummer. Thanks for the good times Alaska. I've been already missing the old you for some time now. And it's just getting worse. Best of luck with the new you.
Last edited by bardley; Apr 23, 2018 at 6:36 pm
Apr 23, 2018, 6:12 pm
#39
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: California
Programs: WN Companion Pass, A-list preferred, Hyatt Globalist; United Club Lietime (sic) Member
Posts: 21,624
No, I lied. It's you.
I wonder if the bean counters recommended this desperate plan after reviewing the financial damage caused by overpaying for Virgin America. Regardless, the competition for West Coast market share is now all over but the shouting. Southwest will win going away. Alaska will be lucky to preserve its routes to Hawaii.
Ironically, Alaska bought VX in large part to allow it to compete on the West Coast. Yet the high cost of acquiring VX may have killed any chance for Alaska to compete anywhere. Alaska picked its poison, but poison it was.
Apr 23, 2018, 6:16 pm
#40
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: SEA
Programs: AS MVP , Delta Gold Medallion, "Credit Card" status for various hotels
Posts: 672
I also read on OMAAT that Alaska will start selling exit row seats. Presumably continuing to make them free to elites but selling to non-elites? If true, this would make MVP less valuable to me; since exit row availability would likely decrease. As a tall person,sitting in an exit row makes a big difference to me.
Apr 23, 2018, 6:18 pm
#41
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Anchorage, AK
Programs: CO - Onepass Gold Elite--> UA - MileagePlus Gold Premier--> Silver --> AS - MileagePlan MVPGOLD!
Posts: 735
The details so far are bad enough (60 day non-elite change waiver gone, etc.) that I know a "no changes, no waivers, no favors" fare class that ends up being what AS uses on fare sales is going to push a good chunk of my business to WN pretty quickly. I looked through my currently booked tickets. R class (absolute lowest fare class) all over them.
On a two or three hour flight, first class is a nice to have, not an essential for me. A meal that can be replaced for $5-10 at the airport? Meh. Unlimited booze (and AS always seems to get rid of things I like such as Glenlivet, Woodford Reserve or Sun Liquor)? Meh. I end up driving when I get off the plane anyways a lot of the time, so more than a drink is not really going to happen. So it's the big seat. Do I want to pay to get into the upgrade lottery? Not really. If I want F I can buy F, but that's what the airline wants, isn't it?
But throwing away hundreds of dollars on non-changeable fares and being unable to take advantage of price breaks or to change plans post-purchase is a deal-breaker for me. Your mileage may vary. I've known this applies to my situation and have said it since Basic Economy crept onto the scene.
On a two or three hour flight, first class is a nice to have, not an essential for me. A meal that can be replaced for $5-10 at the airport? Meh. Unlimited booze (and AS always seems to get rid of things I like such as Glenlivet, Woodford Reserve or Sun Liquor)? Meh. I end up driving when I get off the plane anyways a lot of the time, so more than a drink is not really going to happen. So it's the big seat. Do I want to pay to get into the upgrade lottery? Not really. If I want F I can buy F, but that's what the airline wants, isn't it?
But throwing away hundreds of dollars on non-changeable fares and being unable to take advantage of price breaks or to change plans post-purchase is a deal-breaker for me. Your mileage may vary. I've known this applies to my situation and have said it since Basic Economy crept onto the scene.
Sure, bad news is bad news, but I'm tired of the doom and gloom. I came to AS from United; I've been through this all before.
But where AS is doing better at that United is SERVICE. While it's been a little rocky with the merger, it's not NEARLY the nightmare that I endured for ~5 years during CO/UA, a merger which, frankly, still isn't done, produced 80,000 .....y employees, saw ~10% more seats crammed into existing fuselages, killed countless dogs, and beat up some weird doctor.
I'm not sure Alaska's knees are shaking over whether you and everyone else will never fly them again.
Because business is business, and they have to compete with a slew of carriers that offer bare bones pricing and a global network.
And while I love Southwest, it's really hard to earn Southwest points using their global partners. Because they don't HAVE any partners. Unless you want to buy some kitchenware. Le Creuset for the win???
Apr 23, 2018, 6:23 pm
#42
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Anchorage, AK
Programs: CO - Onepass Gold Elite--> UA - MileagePlus Gold Premier--> Silver --> AS - MileagePlan MVPGOLD!
Posts: 735
I also read on OMAAT that Alaska will start selling exit row seats. Presumably continuing to make them free to elites but selling to non-elites? If true, this would make MVP less valuable to me; since exit row availability would likely decrease. As a tall person,sitting in an exit row makes a big difference to me.
But if selling exit row seats is a big deal breaker for you, then by all means, go fly one of the other carriers. Spoiler Alert: they charge for exit row seating.
And I fail to see how selling something that was previously free will DECREASE its availability to you as an MVP. People who weren't paying for seat assignments in the tail aren't suddenly going to start paying now. If they were, Premium Class would already actually be selling something, rather than going out full of elites for free.
Apr 23, 2018, 6:38 pm
#44
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Pacific Wonderland
Programs: ʙᴏɴᴠo̱ʏ Au, IHG Au, HH Dia, Nexus, Pilot FlyingJ Preferred
Posts: 5,336
I also read on OMAAT that Alaska will start selling exit row seats. Presumably continuing to make them free to elites but selling to non-elites? If true, this would make MVP less valuable to me; since exit row availability would likely decrease. As a tall person,sitting in an exit row makes a big difference to me.
Apr 23, 2018, 7:21 pm
#45
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 500
Big disappointment but not a shock. Having no change fee > 60 days from travel was a huge selling point for me. I noticed they also increased the paid upgrade fees a few weeks ago (that wasn't a huge loss since paid upgrades have gotten scarcer since the F cabins lost a row). It's a race to the bottom to join everyone else I guess.