Nov 27, 2018, 7:54 am
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:
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
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 can’t 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
Details/Discussion of Saver (Basic Economy) "X" Fares
Nov 24, 2018, 7:31 pm
#301
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Berkeley, CA
Programs: UA Silver, Southwest A-List, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 818
However, I'm willing to pay a bit more for tangible benefits like WN's change policy or HA's better flight times on certain flights (and free meals), not a perk like the right to sit farther up front on AS. Thinking of the case where even with the BoA cert, I'm only saving on around $100 total on my family's airfare compared to buying AS saver.
Nov 24, 2018, 7:39 pm
#302
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Berkeley, CA
Programs: UA Silver, Southwest A-List, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 818
This situation reminds me of how, if you want mileage redemption exactly when flights become available roughly 11 months out, you usually can only find the highest redemption levels. But if you wait a few days or a week, lower redemptions suddenly become available. This may not be analogous, but there is almost too much consistency for the new Saver fares to stick across the board the way they've been introduced. IMHO.
Nov 24, 2018, 8:15 pm
#303
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: BLI
Programs: Alaska Million Mile Flyer, Marriott Lifetime Titanium Elite
Posts: 3,195
I hope you're right, but I would then be disappointed that they didn't look at their data more carefully and implement some of these corrections before rolling it out. I think I'd give them more slack if the Saver fares didn't hit for flights +90 days from the implementation. Rolling it out for flights sooner than that means they will need to figure out corrections for their Jan traffic much more quickly.
I honestly no longer know what to expect from Alaska these days in terms of sudden changes in schedules, aircraft, frequent flyer benefits and pricing. Seems to be a fair amount of seat-of-the-pants and last-minute over the past year, and I've been bitten a few times. A gate agent told me this week she's basically given up trying to keep track of all the policy changes; there are simply a lot of them.
Nov 25, 2018, 12:50 am
#304
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Benicia CA
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold 75K, AA 3.8MM, UA 1.1MM, enjoying the retired life
Posts: 31,849
Right now every flight I have in Jan/Feb to/from SFO, except one EWR-SFO, has only 8 F seats. Will be interesting to see how upgrades play out with those aircraft. I'd hate to pay $60RT extra with the new fare system and not clear the upgrade list. I survived the first year of the merger in Virgin America aircraft back in rows 26-28, and if the upgrades don't come through that's where you'll see my flying again on basic economy fares as long as 100% miles plus elite bonuses are in play.
Nov 25, 2018, 9:53 am
#305
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: ANC
Programs: Alaska 100k
Posts: 1,012
Didn’t realize how much Saver would ruin my travel plans for 2019.
I fly to GEG every other week for work because I hate the drive. I generally buy these tickets when they’re $50-90. The benefit of Alaska was the free SDS for everyone on this route. I frequently would have to work late and consequently have to take the later flight.
These new Saver fares are going to seriously make me reconsider flying as this is nearly a 60% price hike.
I fly to GEG every other week for work because I hate the drive. I generally buy these tickets when they’re $50-90. The benefit of Alaska was the free SDS for everyone on this route. I frequently would have to work late and consequently have to take the later flight.
These new Saver fares are going to seriously make me reconsider flying as this is nearly a 60% price hike.
Nov 25, 2018, 3:52 pm
#306
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 12,598
I was just shopping for flights on UA last night (there's no easy way to get from LAX to DTW on AS) and they were pretty consistently pricing regular discount economy at BE+$30 (sometimes BE+$40). So to some extent AS is just copying UA et al. Hopefully they revise their west coast pricing model to stay competitive with WN rather than blindly following UA.
Nov 25, 2018, 4:05 pm
#307
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: BART Platinum, AA Plat Pro
Posts: 1,158
Ironically, the fact that the AS Saver fare is less restrictive than other BE fares makes it seem more spiteful as an elite. UA BE, for example, seems like a straight-up fare increase — I’d rarely recommend anyone buy that fare. But for a non-elite, the only significant downside of AS Saver is more limited seat selection, and I could easily see recommending someone buy Saver, especially on a < 2 hour flight. As a result the Saver fares appear to be exclusively targeted at getting more revenue from elites. That might be the right business decision, but it certainly feels more personal than the US3 BE fare introductions.
Nov 25, 2018, 5:39 pm
#308
Join Date: Mar 2018
Programs: AS MVP Gold 75k, Hyatt Globalist, National Executive Elite
Posts: 272
Ironically, the fact that the AS Saver fare is less restrictive than other BE fares makes it seem more spiteful as an elite. UA BE, for example, seems like a straight-up fare increase — I’d rarely recommend anyone buy that fare. But for a non-elite, the only significant downside of AS Saver is more limited seat selection, and I could easily see recommending someone buy Saver, especially on a < 2 hour flight. As a result the Saver fares appear to be exclusively targeted at getting more revenue from elites. That might be the right business decision, but it certainly feels more personal than the US3 BE fare introductions.
Nov 25, 2018, 7:51 pm
#309
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,063
I was just shopping for flights on UA last night (there's no easy way to get from LAX to DTW on AS) and they were pretty consistently pricing regular discount economy at BE+$30 (sometimes BE+$40). So to some extent AS is just copying UA et al. Hopefully they revise their west coast pricing model to stay competitive with WN rather than blindly following UA.
Nov 25, 2018, 9:12 pm
#310
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 12,598
The real price you pay on UA for SFO-LAX is that when they turn on flow control at SFO it would have been faster to drive, since the regional planes get delayed/cancelled first.
Nov 25, 2018, 10:01 pm
#311
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 3
Pay up to maintain your Elite status
So my 42 flights in 2018 between PDX and SAN last year will now cost me $1260 more a year to stay MVPG with the additional $30 a ticket. What used to be the best available priced flights are now simply Saver fares. So Alaska now wants me just to pay up in 2019 to maintain status/benefits? Unfortunately I would no longer ethically be sourcing the best priced ticket for my company. I would be choosing to spend an extra $60 rt just for the personal perks of the MVPG program.
Logged on for Cyber Monday and had 8 flights to book, and my wife, also a Gold, had 9 to book. As there appear to be no incentives to purchase and we are not quite ready to walk away from our MVPG benefits we are stumped. Pay up or just look for best available fares including SW. Not happy. How is this good for Elites? You are charging us more for what we already had?
Last edited by JohnPP; Nov 25, 2018 at 10:30 pm
Nov 25, 2018, 10:05 pm
#312
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 223
To nitpick: if you'd like to receive MVPG status benefits, yes, you need to pay $1260 more a year. But if all you want is to maintain your status (without reaping its benefits), the marginal cost is $0 per year. Saver fares still earn 100% EQM. (This is more generous than United, where Basic Economy earns 0% EQM.)
Nov 25, 2018, 10:09 pm
#313
Moderator: Alaska Mileage Plan
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 12,318
Companies to airlines: We don't want your cheapest fares
Nov 25, 2018, 10:55 pm
#314
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: OR,ID, NV
Programs: AS 75K, DL PM
Posts: 282
“Basic economy class airfares are to be used for all flights unless employee receives a free upgrade.”
That line is not from a small employer.
I believe that saver fares are a product of the Alaska insights surveys. Too many Alaska insights asked about business vs leisure travel. Alaska belives (as do many posters) that business prohibit basic economy therefore they can get more money.
I personally answered many a survey that most of my travel is for business. Traveling to and from work and I foot the bill.
That line is not from a small employer.
I believe that saver fares are a product of the Alaska insights surveys. Too many Alaska insights asked about business vs leisure travel. Alaska belives (as do many posters) that business prohibit basic economy therefore they can get more money.
I personally answered many a survey that most of my travel is for business. Traveling to and from work and I foot the bill.
Nov 25, 2018, 11:15 pm
#315
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: BART Platinum, AA Plat Pro
Posts: 1,158
Many large companies block Basic Economy/Saver fares from their booking tools.
Companies to airlines: We don't want your cheapest fares
Companies to airlines: We don't want your cheapest fares