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 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
Details/Discussion of Saver (Basic Economy) "X" Fares
#391
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
If you look closely at these flights, you will see that the 9:20AM departure and 11:30AM return flights do have Saver fares at $129 one-way and Main(R) fares are $157. The other 3 daily flights do not have any Saver fares and just have $127 Main(R) fares. This is undoubtedly due to B6 who is likely the fare setter on this route and does not yet have Basic Economy fares. There's no B6 flight around 9:20AM, so AS seems to feel they can charge a premium for that particular flight. There is an 11:10AM B6 JFK-SFO flight, but that time slot likely has sufficient demand that AS feels than can compete against B6 with pricier Main fares.
In other words, both main and saver exist; the "buy-up" is just negative.
That seems strange to me. I'd think that if they didn't want basic economy on some flights, they would just zero out X space on those flights.
On any case, maybe it's intentional and maybe not, but it's nice to see 2018 pricing for main reappear for a major route.
#392
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BOS/ORH
Programs: AS 75K
Posts: 18,323
How long until AS copies deltas latest move? Basic economy awards
https://onemileatatime.com/delta-bas...award-tickets/
https://onemileatatime.com/delta-bas...award-tickets/
#393
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,337
How long until AS copies deltas latest move? Basic economy awards
https://onemileatatime.com/delta-bas...award-tickets/
https://onemileatatime.com/delta-bas...award-tickets/
"Thank you for your business, MVPG75K. Please sit in seat 25E on the way to your CX/JL flight in F, I'm afraid there's no F space on your ORD flight. You are not eligible for an upgrade, incidentally. But please enjoy your complimentary drink or chocolate bar! Sorry that we don't do digEplayers to O'Hare any more!"
#394
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 38,504
And then there has to be Basic Economy or A (Saver F) available on a partner award? Ew.
"Thank you for your business, MVPG75K. Please sit in seat 25E on the way to your CX/JL flight in F, I'm afraid there's no F space on your ORD flight. You are not eligible for an upgrade, incidentally. But please enjoy your complimentary drink or chocolate bar! Sorry that we don't do digEplayers to O'Hare any more!"
"Thank you for your business, MVPG75K. Please sit in seat 25E on the way to your CX/JL flight in F, I'm afraid there's no F space on your ORD flight. You are not eligible for an upgrade, incidentally. But please enjoy your complimentary drink or chocolate bar! Sorry that we don't do digEplayers to O'Hare any more!"
#396
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BOS/ORH
Programs: AS 75K
Posts: 18,323
I'm assuming since the partner doesn't have a Basic Economy (well at least most of AS partners) that it would not apply to partner awards but you never know. Booking domestic into X instead of W
#397
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,337
I would assume AS might do something like 5k/7.5k/10k = X, 12.5k = upgradeable W, but if they got evil, who knows, they could certainly enforce "all economy awards 12.5k or less are saver" and just turn W into the award version of X, and make N/Z == Main (20k/30k are only eligible for upgrade).
#399
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,337
AS already copied DL a long time ago with multiple coach award tiers (12.5k/20k/30k comes from DL but AS implemented it before AA or anyone else). Nobody has to monitor FT to start up the Xerox when it comes to copying trends from Delta; airlines and beancounters do it naturally.
#400
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: SFO/SEA
Programs: Gold 75K
Posts: 216
SFO to Seattle has increased from $69 to $99 for main cabin. That's a 43% increase to avail myself of the MVPG change fee waiver. I travel on my own dime, 2-3 times per month. They've also made it harder and harder to get a reasonably priced ticket out of OAK. I'm holding off on buying any more tickets and I truly hope that Alaska considers the response from its elites. I haven't jumped ship for WN yet, but its' on the table if pricing doesn't get refined.
#401
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FAI
Programs: AS MVP Gold100K, AS 1MM, Maika`i Card, AGR, HH Gold, Hertz PC, Marriott Titanium LTG, CO, 7H, BA, 8E
Posts: 42,942
SFO to Seattle has increased from $69 to $99 for main cabin. That's a 43% increase to avail myself of the MVPG change fee waiver. I travel on my own dime, 2-3 times per month. They've also made it harder and harder to get a reasonably priced ticket out of OAK. I'm holding off on buying any more tickets and I truly hope that Alaska considers the response from its elites. I haven't jumped ship for WN yet, but its' on the table if pricing doesn't get refined.
I think a compromise I could live with is a change fee waiver extended to MVPG and G75K's. I can deal with some of the rest. Zero flexibility is unfortunate, especially as a 1MM'er and unlike AS.
#402
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: PDX
Programs: AS DL
Posts: 9,038
Airlines are watching here, at least to some extent, so what I write is not secret.
They are testing the water. Basic economy vs. economy fare differential varies. Sometimes $20 each way, sometimes $30. Some airlines will let you pick seats from the last 4 rows then they will assign probably mostly middle seats after that.
Travelers will be asked to assess things like:
If I am elite, will I pay $20 more one way on a transcon than basic economy to get my pick of seats, which might include exit rows?
If I am not elite, will I pay $30 more one way than basic economy and get an average seat versus a rear middle?
Someday, it may be...will I pay $40 more one way than basic economy and not get any water, have to pay to use the lavatory, and are prohibited from standing up except to use the lav or deplane?
They are testing the water. Basic economy vs. economy fare differential varies. Sometimes $20 each way, sometimes $30. Some airlines will let you pick seats from the last 4 rows then they will assign probably mostly middle seats after that.
Travelers will be asked to assess things like:
If I am elite, will I pay $20 more one way on a transcon than basic economy to get my pick of seats, which might include exit rows?
If I am not elite, will I pay $30 more one way than basic economy and get an average seat versus a rear middle?
Someday, it may be...will I pay $40 more one way than basic economy and not get any water, have to pay to use the lavatory, and are prohibited from standing up except to use the lav or deplane?
#403
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Pacific Northwest
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, AS 75k, AA Plat, Bonvoyed Gold, Honors Dia, Hyatt Explorer, IHG Plat, ...
Posts: 16,625
Airlines are watching here, at least to some extent, so what I write is not secret.
They are testing the water. Basic economy vs. economy fare differential varies. Sometimes $20 each way, sometimes $30. Some airlines will let you pick seats from the last 4 rows then they will assign probably mostly middle seats after that.
Travelers will be asked to assess things like:
If I am elite, will I pay $20 more one way on a transcon than basic economy to get my pick of seats, which might include exit rows?
If I am not elite, will I pay $30 more one way than basic economy and get an average seat versus a rear middle?
Someday, it may be...will I pay $40 more one way than basic economy and not get any water, have to pay to use the lavatory, and are prohibited from standing up except to use the lav or deplane?
They are testing the water. Basic economy vs. economy fare differential varies. Sometimes $20 each way, sometimes $30. Some airlines will let you pick seats from the last 4 rows then they will assign probably mostly middle seats after that.
Travelers will be asked to assess things like:
If I am elite, will I pay $20 more one way on a transcon than basic economy to get my pick of seats, which might include exit rows?
If I am not elite, will I pay $30 more one way than basic economy and get an average seat versus a rear middle?
Someday, it may be...will I pay $40 more one way than basic economy and not get any water, have to pay to use the lavatory, and are prohibited from standing up except to use the lav or deplane?
https://www.flyertalk.com/articles/d...-airfares.html
#405
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: PDX
Programs: AS MVPG
Posts: 607
Travelers will be asked to assess things like:
If I am elite, will I pay $20 more one way on a transcon than basic economy to get my pick of seats, which might include exit rows?
If I am not elite, will I pay $30 more one way than basic economy and get an average seat versus a rear middle?
Someday, it may be...will I pay $40 more one way than basic economy and not get any water, have to pay to use the lavatory, and are prohibited from standing up except to use the lav or deplane?
If I am elite, will I pay $20 more one way on a transcon than basic economy to get my pick of seats, which might include exit rows?
If I am not elite, will I pay $30 more one way than basic economy and get an average seat versus a rear middle?
Someday, it may be...will I pay $40 more one way than basic economy and not get any water, have to pay to use the lavatory, and are prohibited from standing up except to use the lav or deplane?
If I am MVPG+, will I pay $30 more for the ability to change/cancel my ticket on the off chance that my plans change?
If I'm not MVPG+, will I pay $30 more for the opportunity to pay an additional $125 to change/cancel my ticket on the off chance that my plans change? How does $30 + $125 compare to the cost of the ticket itself? How likely is it that I'll need to change/cancel? How often will I buy up and not end up needing to cancel? How will that average out at the end of the year?
So many what-ifs that now need to be considered compared to what used to be a simple purchase. That's where WN does things so right. No what-ifs. Simple, straightforward, and no need to twist yourself into knots figuring out which avenue is the best option.