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
Jan 30, 2019, 1:17 am
#586
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 223
Yes, that's one area where my analogy breaks down (AS has historically been doing a pretty good job of filling PC), but to PDXpress's point about empty middle seats in Y, I think there's still a comparison to be made.
UA was only putting BE pax in E+ because those were the last seats available on the plane. At least in my eyes, BE seemed to lead to fewer empty seats in general (across the cabin), which AS might be able to replicate. So yes, I'd agree with PDXpress that it's very possible that AS saver fares could mean the end of empty middles in the back of the plane.
UA was only putting BE pax in E+ because those were the last seats available on the plane. At least in my eyes, BE seemed to lead to fewer empty seats in general (across the cabin), which AS might be able to replicate. So yes, I'd agree with PDXpress that it's very possible that AS saver fares could mean the end of empty middles in the back of the plane.
Jan 30, 2019, 5:51 am
#587
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Seattle
Programs: Alaska airlines 100k
Posts: 923
Yes, that's one area where my analogy breaks down (AS has historically been doing a pretty good job of filling PC), but to PDXpress's point about empty middle seats in Y, I think there's still a comparison to be made.
UA was only putting BE pax in E+ because those were the last seats available on the plane. At least in my eyes, BE seemed to lead to fewer empty seats in general (across the cabin), which AS might be able to replicate. So yes, I'd agree with PDXpress that it's very possible that AS saver fares could mean the end of empty middles in the back of the plane.
UA was only putting BE pax in E+ because those were the last seats available on the plane. At least in my eyes, BE seemed to lead to fewer empty seats in general (across the cabin), which AS might be able to replicate. So yes, I'd agree with PDXpress that it's very possible that AS saver fares could mean the end of empty middles in the back of the plane.
Are the the passengers that don’t fly often that naive? As to now flood to flying AS because of rebranding the name of the lowest fare?
Jan 30, 2019, 8:21 am
#588
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: LAX
Programs: AS MVPG, IHG Diamond Elite
Posts: 1,445
Don't believe so. Premium Class on Alaska is just a paid seat assignment and doesn't impact or change the fare class (unlike an upgrade to First). Imagine aside from boarding in an earlier group, all restrictions of the original fare purchased would stick.
Jan 31, 2019, 11:19 am
#592
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: US West Coast
Programs: Alaska 100K, Hyatt Gl, Marriott Ti/LTP
Posts: 353
That makes a lot of sense. Row 15 has regular economy legroom and doesn’t recline due to the exit, but the row in front of it still reclines into you. I’d much rather be in 25 or 26 than 15.
Jan 31, 2019, 11:36 am
#593
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: 650
Looks like someone picking seats for the x-fares discovered seatguru. :-)
Feb 1, 2019, 2:59 pm
#594
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 561
Was on a flight out of Hawaii today in X class and had a strange seating assignment.
Me and SO were on the same reservation (both MVP). Ticket was bought only one month ahead, and there were no seats to choose when booking. At T-72, I received an email saying I’m in 31F. I logged into the app and saw the SO didn’t have any seat assignment. I kept checking the app and there was no change until T-24, when I checked in online and the SO got 13A.
This’s my second time on saver fare and thought this process is rather strange. While we both got window seats, it felt like Alaska was purposefully making sure that we are NOT even close to each other.
Eventually, a single traveler in 13B gladly switched with my window in 31F and everything worked out. But I wonder if anyone has similar experiences? I just don’t understand why two people in the same reservation with the same elite status are assigned seats 48 hours and 18 rows apart.
Me and SO were on the same reservation (both MVP). Ticket was bought only one month ahead, and there were no seats to choose when booking. At T-72, I received an email saying I’m in 31F. I logged into the app and saw the SO didn’t have any seat assignment. I kept checking the app and there was no change until T-24, when I checked in online and the SO got 13A.
This’s my second time on saver fare and thought this process is rather strange. While we both got window seats, it felt like Alaska was purposefully making sure that we are NOT even close to each other.
Eventually, a single traveler in 13B gladly switched with my window in 31F and everything worked out. But I wonder if anyone has similar experiences? I just don’t understand why two people in the same reservation with the same elite status are assigned seats 48 hours and 18 rows apart.
Feb 1, 2019, 3:09 pm
#595
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
My guess is they are filling the "undesirable" (row 31) seats first, and then putting whoever is left in whatever is available much closer to departure.
They are not going to lock up a seat near the front of the plane for a basic economy traveler until everyone else has had their chance to select it. FWIW there is no way in hell that I would move from 13B to 31A -- that was nice of that person.
They are not going to lock up a seat near the front of the plane for a basic economy traveler until everyone else has had their chance to select it. FWIW there is no way in hell that I would move from 13B to 31A -- that was nice of that person.
Feb 1, 2019, 3:24 pm
#596
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 561
My guess is they are filling the "undesirable" (row 31) seats first, and then putting whoever is left in whatever is available much closer to departure.
They are not going to lock up a seat near the front of the plane for a basic economy traveler until everyone else has had their chance to select it. FWIW there is no way in hell that I would move from 13B to 31A -- that was nice of that person.
They are not going to lock up a seat near the front of the plane for a basic economy traveler until everyone else has had their chance to select it. FWIW there is no way in hell that I would move from 13B to 31A -- that was nice of that person.
Feb 1, 2019, 4:11 pm
#597
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BOS/ORH
Programs: AS 75K
Posts: 18,323
Personally, I would switch to any row for a window over a middle, especially when I'm trying to sleep, but I was indeed really grateful that person in 13B felt the same. I could imagine lots of people would not want to move to the back. Anyways, was great to have a win-win situation in the end.
Feb 3, 2019, 12:13 am
#598
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 132
Usually for same day return trip or 1 to 2 day trips, you don't need to pack a lot of stuff. So you don't need to worry the rollerboard (the luggage) and you can put all your stuff under your seat instead of putting onto the overhead bins.
Feb 3, 2019, 11:47 am
#599
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 22
The whole Saver fare change on AS is just a diminution of service for a given price point. They reduced the service at the same prices as the old lowest fare coach product, then introduced a new, higher price product with the old service level.
Most casual flyers won't notice because they don't fly those routes more than a couple of times a year, and may not book the months in advance necessary to get the lowest fares anyway, so the change will be lost on them. Some will certainly get caught flat-footed by the new restrictions, and will complain.
Some of us who fly a lot for personal (not business) reasons have noticed, and will make other plans. For example, by perversity of scheduling, DL for PDX-SEA-MFR has a better schedule than AS PDX-MFR for weeknight travel. On DL, you leave PDX about 7PM and arrive MFR around 10:30PM, which is better for leaving after work. On AS, your choices are leaving about 5PM and arriving about 6, or leaving about 10:30PM and arriving about 11:30. Catch a snack at Capers (courtesy Amex/PP) in PDX and a drink at a lounge in SEA (when the connection allows) and it may not be so bad. And the DL "Main" fare is often lower than the AS "Saver" fare, so a better product. And we can get to DL elite with the same (or less) spend, since it's two segments per trip instead of one.
AS is still clearly working out the "Saver" fares. A few weeks ago, the OW fare differential for PDX-MFR was $30; now it's $15. That's still a 16% increase for the same product.
Most casual flyers won't notice because they don't fly those routes more than a couple of times a year, and may not book the months in advance necessary to get the lowest fares anyway, so the change will be lost on them. Some will certainly get caught flat-footed by the new restrictions, and will complain.
Some of us who fly a lot for personal (not business) reasons have noticed, and will make other plans. For example, by perversity of scheduling, DL for PDX-SEA-MFR has a better schedule than AS PDX-MFR for weeknight travel. On DL, you leave PDX about 7PM and arrive MFR around 10:30PM, which is better for leaving after work. On AS, your choices are leaving about 5PM and arriving about 6, or leaving about 10:30PM and arriving about 11:30. Catch a snack at Capers (courtesy Amex/PP) in PDX and a drink at a lounge in SEA (when the connection allows) and it may not be so bad. And the DL "Main" fare is often lower than the AS "Saver" fare, so a better product. And we can get to DL elite with the same (or less) spend, since it's two segments per trip instead of one.
AS is still clearly working out the "Saver" fares. A few weeks ago, the OW fare differential for PDX-MFR was $30; now it's $15. That's still a 16% increase for the same product.
Feb 3, 2019, 3:00 pm
#600
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
If you really are booking cheap main cabin fares in advance, you will be paying $129 and getting 99MQD per one-way. It will take you 30-31 of them (60-62 segments) before you reach 3000MQD and silver status. That same number of direct flights on AS will also get you MVP through segments.