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
Dec 7, 2018, 9:58 am
#406
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: SEA, NW/DL 1.6Million Miler
Programs: DL 1MM Annual Silver,AS 100K 22-24, AS 75K 15-21
Posts: 4,278
Seriously, with this basic economy disguised as a small poison for elite level travelers, this will definitely change the dynamic of future flying on Alaska Airlines.
Elites are now expected to pay additional $900+ ($30 X 30 transcon) to feel the current level of Alaska love (75K).
Who knows what the additional fees are going to be in 2020 and beyond.
For many, time has now come to decide your allegiance. To pay "up charge" and fly Alaska, or become free agent.
Jiburi
Elites are now expected to pay additional $900+ ($30 X 30 transcon) to feel the current level of Alaska love (75K).
Who knows what the additional fees are going to be in 2020 and beyond.
For many, time has now come to decide your allegiance. To pay "up charge" and fly Alaska, or become free agent.
Jiburi
Dec 7, 2018, 10:49 am
#407
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: British Columbia
Programs: AS MVPG100K, Marriott Marriott Titanium Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 7,263
Dec 7, 2018, 11:19 am
#408
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 12,598
Seriously, with this basic economy disguised as a small poison for elite level travelers, this will definitely change the dynamic of future flying on Alaska Airlines.
Elites are now expected to pay additional $900+ ($30 X 30 transcon) to feel the current level of Alaska love (75K).
Who knows what the additional fees are going to be in 2020 and beyond.
Elites are now expected to pay additional $900+ ($30 X 30 transcon) to feel the current level of Alaska love (75K).
Who knows what the additional fees are going to be in 2020 and beyond.
Dec 7, 2018, 1:49 pm
#409
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: US West Coast
Programs: Alaska 100K, Hyatt Gl, Marriott Ti/LTP
Posts: 353
Sorry to re-post something I posted on a different thread, but I feel it's worth pointing out in here, too.
The period of a uniform $30 buy-up is definitely over, and it only lasted a few weeks. Here's an evening in March 2019: $30, $20, $10, or no Saver, depending on the flight. I don't know if these are being set based on other carriers' schedules, or if it happens automatically, based on available underlying fare class.
For the curious, here are the costs to buy out of Saver:
$99: L (+ $30 or ~18%)
$211: H (so no Saver would be expected here, but + $0 or 0%)
$114: G (+ $20 or ~21%)
$124: K (+ $10 or ~9%)
I don't mean to be pollyannaish about this. I am deeply unhappy about these Saver fares. But claims that they're a 50% price hike are just not accurate.
The period of a uniform $30 buy-up is definitely over, and it only lasted a few weeks. Here's an evening in March 2019: $30, $20, $10, or no Saver, depending on the flight. I don't know if these are being set based on other carriers' schedules, or if it happens automatically, based on available underlying fare class.
For the curious, here are the costs to buy out of Saver:
$99: L (+ $30 or ~18%)
$211: H (so no Saver would be expected here, but + $0 or 0%)
$114: G (+ $20 or ~21%)
$124: K (+ $10 or ~9%)
I don't mean to be pollyannaish about this. I am deeply unhappy about these Saver fares. But claims that they're a 50% price hike are just not accurate.
Dec 7, 2018, 2:13 pm
#410
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Berkeley, CA
Programs: UA Silver, Southwest A-List, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 818
I would really love to see how the volume of bookings on short-haul flights have changed since the X rollout and for the BF/Cyber-Monday sale compared to last year for comparisons sake.
Dec 7, 2018, 2:22 pm
#411
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
Last week there were, for example, SFO-LAX flights were saver was $49 and main was $79. Now they have come down to saver $49, main $64. That's still a 30% price hike
I even see an LAX-LAS flight that's $51 for saver and $81 for Main (59% -- AS 1490 on 1/25)
It took me only a couple of seconds to find this -- I just did a search on some random dates. I'm sure that if you take some times you can find more. I don't think that they are rare cases.
So, while it's not a 50% hike across the board, it is a very steep price hike, sometimes even exceeding 50%, particularly on short routes.
Dec 7, 2018, 3:04 pm
#412
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: US West Coast
Programs: Alaska 100K, Hyatt Gl, Marriott Ti/LTP
Posts: 353
There were definitely some tickets that I would have purchased for the $10 markup, but $30 was just too much. Southwest seems to be getting a fair chunk of my late-winter/early-spring travel in 2019, which totally bums me out.
Dec 7, 2018, 3:38 pm
#413
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: SEA
Programs: Hilton/Marriott Gold, Accor Silver
Posts: 2,036
Running a sale with the express purpose of having people not buy the things on sale? I think it's far more likely that they just started with $30 for all flights as a baseline and then realized how terrible of an idea that was after dismal Cyber Monday sales.
Dec 7, 2018, 3:46 pm
#414
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Berkeley, CA
Programs: UA Silver, Southwest A-List, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 818
My thoughts exactly. I don't have the data to back me up, but I feel like the implementation could have been better developed than a flat rollout. Of course, I'm not revenue management and will never know the full extent of the story in fairness to AS. I hope that if that was the case, they take some lessons learned though.
Dec 7, 2018, 3:52 pm
#415
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: US West Coast
Programs: Alaska 100K, Hyatt Gl, Marriott Ti/LTP
Posts: 353
If I put on my tinfoil hat, "Running a sale with the express purpose of having people not buy the things [at the sale price]," does make a little bit more business sense.
But I like your conclusion better, so that's what I'm going to choose to believe.
Dec 7, 2018, 4:17 pm
#416
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: PDX
Programs: AS 75K, BW Plat, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 10,725
I agree...I think the Cyber Monday sale, which use to be a pretty big deal, was largely ignored this year.
Dec 7, 2018, 4:18 pm
#417
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
The primary reason I'm with Alaska is miles. Start tampering with those and I can live off my lifetime AA or UA status. I rarely make flight changes and if I can find a window seat I might be a likely candidate to at least give basic economy a try.
Tom in Nuremberg tonight
Dec 7, 2018, 9:16 pm
#418
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,065
Seriously, with this basic economy disguised as a small poison for elite level travelers, this will definitely change the dynamic of future flying on Alaska Airlines.
Elites are now expected to pay additional $900+ ($30 X 30 transcon) to feel the current level of Alaska love (75K).
Who knows what the additional fees are going to be in 2020 and beyond.
For many, time has now come to decide your allegiance. To pay "up charge" and fly Alaska, or become free agent.
Jiburi
Elites are now expected to pay additional $900+ ($30 X 30 transcon) to feel the current level of Alaska love (75K).
Who knows what the additional fees are going to be in 2020 and beyond.
For many, time has now come to decide your allegiance. To pay "up charge" and fly Alaska, or become free agent.
Jiburi
Dec 7, 2018, 10:08 pm
#419
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SEA (the REAL Washington); occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
Programs: DL PM 1.57MM; AS MVPG 100K
Posts: 21,373
The vast majority of flyers doing 30 transcons a year are likely business flyers who aren't paying for their flights and don't really care what it costs. I suspect a big part of the reason Basic Economy fares have succeeded is that many corporate purchasing departments are now excluding them -- much to the delight of the airlines.
the individuals may not particularly care, but their travel accounting departments most likely do ... in my case, Concur flags anything beyond $25 over “lowest logical fare” (but luckily — so far — doesn’t return Basic Economy options in flight searches)
Dec 7, 2018, 10:18 pm
#420
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: 16,856
Exactly. I doubt that large corporate travel buyers are just eating a 20-40% surcharge... or able to. Presumably if they are large enough, they will negotiate some deal with their preferred airlines.