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Details/Discussion of Saver (Basic Economy) "X" Fares

Old Nov 27, 2018, 7:54 am
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Last edit by: NoLaGent
How are Saver fares different?

Saver fares do include some restrictions on booking, refunds, changes, and seat selection.

These restrictions include:
  • Limited seating may be available at the time of purchase. Most seats will be assigned at check-in.
  • We cant guarantee that parties of two or more will be seated together.
  • No refunds are allowed beyond the first 24 hours after ticketing.
  • No changes, including same-day confirmed changes, are allowed for Saver fares.
  • No standby is allowed for Saver fares, even for elite status guests.
  • If a guest is a no-show for any flight during a trip, all other flights within that trip are automatically canceled, with no refund available.
  • Saver fares cannot be combined with any other fare types on the same itinerary.
  • Saver fares are non-transferable.

Elite status benefits you do get when you buy a Saver Fare:
* Priority check-in
* Priority boarding group
* Baggage fee waiver
* Express security line at select airports (for MVPG+)
* Refreshments (alcoholic drink or chocolate for MVPG+)
* Complimentary inflight entertainment player - available on coast-to-coast and Hawaii flights (for MVPG75k, while they last)
* Bonus miles (by elite level)

Elite status benefits you don't get when you buy a Saver Fare:
* Access to preferred seating (certain seats behind Premium Class or in the exit rows)
* First Class upgrades, when available
* Premium Class upgrades, when available
* Waived change fees for MVPG+
* Complimentary same-day standby/flight changes for MVPG+

Full info here: https://www.alaskaair.com/content/tr...perience/saver
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Details/Discussion of Saver (Basic Economy) "X" Fares

Old Nov 20, 2018, 11:28 am
  #241  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,337
Originally Posted by isaac.chambers
The proliferation of the Saver fares happened overnight....i now see them on SFO >> LAX in January. Very tough to see this get rolled out especially since there is a big up-charge now between X and R class.

SFO >> LAX - $30 one-way (49 versus 79)
LAX >> SFO - $30 one-way (75 versus 105)

SFO>>MCI - same $30 add for Main fares.....

SO essentially its $60 add r/t to use your benefits for AS.....WN is matching the saver fare levels in this time with WGA fare class.

So if i cant get into F class....why am i flying AS instead of WN?
Ding ding ding. I fly SEA-LAS a lot. I frequently change dates or use SDC. If I have to pay a $30 premium for SDC and the ability to not lose the use of my fare if my dates change on an AS route, or I pay the same as WN on the route, except get WORSE benefits (no SDC and fares are use or lose), and I won't be upgraded to F on either WN or AS, I'm walking to WN on that route. I can outright BUY Alaska miles for 2 CPM and get access to their international partners on an award. On a two hour flight the big front seat and whatever arugula kale smoothie polenta AS is serving to try and be hip isn't worth much of a premium to me.

These fares are all over the system: SFO-LAS, for instance. Gee, good thing that's not a competitive route with WN...
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Old Nov 20, 2018, 8:30 pm
  #242  
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: SYD
Programs: Asiana Diamond+, Qantas Gold, Virgin Gold
Posts: 59
Another data point here. Not entirely unexpected but certainly disappointing. I’m a Platinum on DL and MVP 75K on AS and have opted for AS over DL on several recent trips solely to avoid DL’s basic economy.

Yes, both DL and AS will now take the same approach, but looking at the more comprehensive route structure, alliance and global partners, I’m fast approaching the point where it makes more sense to simply favour Delta when it comes to maintaining that status. Given the new JV between DL and Korean, flying KE metal and crediting to DL is now suddenly a no-brainer and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Alaska’s partnerships with KE end entirely, just as it did with AF, KL and AE, adding even further pressure.

Again, I’m just one data point, and currently based overseas which isn't the norm, but I hope Alaska knows what it’s doing.
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Old Nov 21, 2018, 10:12 am
  #243  
_fx
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: NYC
Programs: AS 75K, DL Platinum
Posts: 630
Just saw these roll out. They're terrible. I flew SEA-SFO and/or SEA-SJC RT on AS a dozen times this past year and the fare was always $69-79. Now that's become the "saver" fare, and to use any elite benefits, I need to pay an extra $30. That's a 38% increase!

This is effectively a tax on elite and corporate travelers (my corporate travel tool, for example, won't show saver fares). I feel like a complete idiot for being loyal to AS this year and trying to make MVP Gold -- huge bait and switch. Should have just stuck with Delta, who is growing stronger in SEA every day...
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Old Nov 21, 2018, 10:40 am
  #244  
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,635
I hadn't been paying close attention; this is worse than I was expecting. The new saver fares are more or less in line with WN WGA fares, so as mentioned above, even (especially?) for elites, why would anyone choose AS on short-med flights?
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Old Nov 21, 2018, 10:56 am
  #245  
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,337
Originally Posted by _fx
Just saw these roll out. They're terrible. I flew SEA-SFO and/or SEA-SJC RT on AS a dozen times this past year and the fare was always $69-79. Now that's become the "saver" fare, and to use any elite benefits, I need to pay an extra $30. That's a 38% increase!

This is effectively a tax on elite and corporate travelers (my corporate travel tool, for example, won't show saver fares). I feel like a complete idiot for being loyal to AS this year and trying to make MVP Gold -- huge bait and switch. Should have just stuck with Delta, who is growing stronger in SEA every day...
https://www.southwest.com/html/rapid...tus_match.html

So I figure I will burn my miles while I am Gold in 2019, and be a free agent with a bias to WN for nonstops under 3 hours. WN with A-List is about all I would need on a decent amount of my flights to effectively replace AS. AS may still get business but it’s case by case now.
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Old Nov 21, 2018, 11:43 am
  #246  
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Berkeley, CA
Programs: UA Silver, Southwest A-List, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 818
So mixed bag. Looking at flights from OAK-OGG in May.
RT prices before X rollout, $449. After $417 in X, but $507 in Main. That's a $45 difference each way. Also the difference in the Premium Class buy-up: $119 for X, $99 for main. Hawaiian matched the saver fare and, at this time, does not have basic economy.

So, good that it's driving down prices. Bad that it's making elites pay more to get the benefits they earned. That said, this is a family trip where I will be checking in luggage. With the BoA cert, it's a good thing, unless there are no seats together in the Saver section. Guess we will see if this changes whenever Southwest begins their Hawaii service as well.
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Old Nov 21, 2018, 1:50 pm
  #247  
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BOS/ORH
Programs: AS 75K
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similar to other routes $30 extra each way BOS-PDX

209 saver
239 main
288 Gold guest upgrade (of course no U space)
550 discount F
899 refundable F

Last edited by CDKing; Nov 21, 2018 at 2:03 pm
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Old Nov 21, 2018, 2:11 pm
  #248  
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,635
Originally Posted by CDKing
similar to other routes $30 extra each way BOS-PDX

209 saver
239 main
288 Gold guest upgrade (of course no U space)
550 discount F
899 refundable F
$30 gap everywhere? Odd they don't have any differentiation between short west coast hops and transcons.
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Old Nov 21, 2018, 2:55 pm
  #249  
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: SEA
Programs: AS MVP , Delta Gold Medallion, "Credit Card" status for various hotels
Posts: 671
Originally Posted by ucdtim17
$30 gap everywhere? Odd they don't have any differentiation between short west coast hops and transcons.
The $30 gap isnt everywhere - I noticed a smaller gap on LAX-LAS and a larger gap to Hawaii. But it seems like most flights from SEA, whether a short hop to PDX or a transcon to NYC has a $30 difference. Seems like a ripoff for west coast flights, Ill certainly be flying southwest more assuming their WGA fares match Alaskas saver fares. Im not planning on putting effort to retaining MVP given these costs.
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Old Nov 21, 2018, 3:29 pm
  #250  
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS
Posts: 2,292
We fly SEA/LAX a lot. just looked at flights and what were the "coach" fares before is now the Saver Fare. Main fare is $30 more to get what we always had before. (Saver $90 OW and Main is $120). January is usually a slow month for travel.
HUGE increase in fares, IMHO. Will be interesting to see how the public responds. Not happy that status is pretty useless unless one is willing to pay more upfront.
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Old Nov 21, 2018, 3:37 pm
  #251  
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Pacific Wonderland
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Posts: 5,336
Originally Posted by Bretmd
But it seems like most flights from SEA, whether a short hop to PDX or a transcon to NYC has a $30 difference.
Ugh. Thats going to bite double where AS prices fares end on end EUG-PDX/SEA//PDX/SEA-XYZ rather than through fares. Are mixed Saver/Main Cabin allowed or does it not matter as the most restrictive fare rules would apply?
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Old Nov 21, 2018, 5:22 pm
  #252  
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I guess not always $30. In this example some are $20 difference and some $333 but that is likely just extra taxes/fees for overnight connecting



Though this case surprisingly AS isn't trying to put saver when one leg is a B fare.

CDKing is offline  
Old Nov 22, 2018, 1:44 am
  #253  
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: sometimes, strangely, I find myself at home
Programs: I need to do better in managing my affiliations. Oops, I overshot the runway for status next year.
Posts: 648
Originally Posted by _fx
J.... I feel like a complete idiot for being loyal to AS this year ...
Me too.

The new $60 dollar charge to enable the previously promised elite benefits is a bait and switch sucker punch. I won't forget.

Why won't I forget? I can forecast the potential future cost to me. The saver change would result in additional costs greater than $2,160 to get promised and expected elite benefits.

(And I thought the change to slow rolling of the drink cart to ensure 1 pass in premium was a take away).
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Old Nov 22, 2018, 8:19 am
  #254  
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Location: Snohomish, WA
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Posts: 2,792
Found saver fares for the SEA-MCI route when looking to change a reservation I'd already made.

Saver fare: $150
Regular fare: $180

I'm amused at all the posts saying this is a fare increase. Of *course* it is a fare increase. We've been saying for months that's what this is!
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Old Nov 22, 2018, 8:38 am
  #255  
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Originally Posted by missamo80
I'm amused at all the posts saying this is a fare increase. Of *course* it is a fare increase. We've been saying for months that's what this is!
Is more about the amount of the increase. SFO-LAX went from $52 to $82. That is ridiculous. It is also a very competitive route.
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