Single_Flyer

Today during the 2018 Q1 Earnings Call, it was revealed that Alaska plans to introduce a basic economy fare, known as "Saver Fare", to compete with the legacy airlines. The new fare will be introduced in Fall 2018 and will include the following restrictions:

• Seats in rear of aircraft
• Guests board last
• Upgrades for elites not permitted
• Tickets not changeable/cancelable.

The call can be listened to here: Webcasts & events | Alaska Air Group Inc

https://singleflyer.com/2018/04/23/a...-economy-fare/

eponymous_coward

Thanks for the tip and the thread.

Welp.

Guess it's WN and otherwise free agency for me, since I fly on a lot of G/T fares and value the change/cancel fee MVPG gives me more than any single benefit. I assume these tickets won't be eligible for SDC either, they'll be "fly or eat the value". No GARR, either, I guess.

It was a good run, but if they want to fire me as a customer, so be it. It feels kind of liberating, I suppose.

♫Nowhere to run to, baby, nowhere to hide♫...

JPat

PDXPremier

My guess is that you'll be ok with the G/T fares....I'm thinking these new "saver fares" will basically be the new "R" fare.

jacobguo

Halfway through requalifying for MVP... Should've put those dollars on AA.

eponymous_coward

Yeah, but I fly a lot of those, too. It will likely kill change/cancel, GARR, SDC for many of the fares I buy. If WN is offering SEA-LAS for $59 o/w and AS is matching it with an R fare (or worse, the only way I can get $59 o/w on a price drop is to switch to an R fare), or I have to pay $20 extra to get the flexibility I like to have, I'm just going to walk to WN for a lot of my shorthaul business*, and then free agent based on price/schedule/service the things they can't handle (I"m thinking B6 to NYC, and whatever works for anywhere else). I really don't care much if I fly in F for two hours or Y. But I do care that this will gut a lot of the features I liked about Mileage Plan that made it similar to WN (or in some cases better).

* except LA. Pretty please, WN, start flying LAX-SEA.

ORDPSC

Just read this in the Seattle Times ..... "Alaska will begin charging extra for exit row seats and eliminate fee waivers for itinerary changes made more than 60 days ahead of travel" any one have any more details?

Idaho Territory

sltlyamusd

It all depends on how the price points are implemented. If AS "Basic Economy" is the same price as WN, then I would definitely fly WN for the free ticket changes. But, if AS Basic Economy is say $50 less than WN, and regular AS economy is the same price as WN, I'd probably buy regular economy on AS and have a shot an upgrade.

PV_Premier

It was only a matter of time. The irony of all of this activity among the legacies is that WN maintains a relatively high degree of freedom for their WGA fares, which can be canceled and credit preserved regardless of your status up to 10 mins before departure while also giving you two free bags and a virtually guaranteed aisle or window seat if you manage your check in process appropriately. Perhaps that will change in the future, but for now, WN is going to become both the most affordable and most flexible airline on the west coast.

PV_Premier

bolding mine, if true, this would be a poor decision by AS. it's a nice differentiator in the market and strikes a reasonable balance between revenue protection and customer centricity while staying competitive with WN's generous flexibility policies.

AS is doing just about everything they can to push traffic to WN today it seems.

Westcoaster

https://www.seattletimes.com/busines...rgin-on-track/

Thanks. Depending on how things are implemented it might make sense for my better half and me (I? me doesn't sound right but I think it's correct) to try to renew MVPG instead settling for MVP this year.

2BGO

So we know no upgrades, or changes and you sit in the back. Question - What miles will these fares earn and any elite bonuses?

Chugach

One of my big questions is whether or not the MVPG change fee waiver is going away. If it is, that’s a huge change in a bad way.

Chugach

Lame.

I think the the clock is officially ticking down on Mileage Plan going revenue-based.