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 15, 2019, 7:25 pm
#557
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: SEA
Programs: Hilton/Marriott Gold, Accor Silver
Posts: 2,036
Given their duties, it would make zero sense for AS to restrict GAs from manually assigning seats to any passengers.
Jan 16, 2019, 11:50 pm
#559
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 132
Booked AS X class. They allow you to choose seat (but only 10 seats at the last 3 rows on Airbus series), still have windows and aisles available. On the seat selection page, you can choose other seat by changing your booking to higher class (means $50 more one-way). After you choose the seat, you go to the payment page.
Way better than other airlines "Basic Economy"
Way better than other airlines "Basic Economy"
Jan 17, 2019, 12:27 am
#562
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
Nonstop is often more expensive.. some people (myself included) will pay a premium for it. This doesn't sound too unusual.
Jan 17, 2019, 8:58 pm
#563
Join Date: Jan 2011
Programs: marriott, delta, alaska
Posts: 6
It's not impossible as I found out last weekend. My wife (MVP) and I (MVP Gold) were booked on a flight (from a California airport to PDX) that was only half-full, and I made a pitch to the GA to move up from row 30. He said that it was against the rules--and then handed me new boarding passes in Row 7. (I did mention to him that frequent fliers weren't all big fans of Brad Tllden.) The premium economy was virtually empty (I was the only passenger in Group A for Boarding). I would never have tried this had the plane had its usual load.
Jan 17, 2019, 11:23 pm
#565
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: AS, UA, WN, IHG Diamond Elite, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Gold, CET 7*
Posts: 3,293
If he was in row 30 to begin with, than row 7 has to be Premium. Nice score.
Jan 18, 2019, 4:57 pm
#566
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 470
So my family of 5 (2 adults, 5 year old, 3 year old, lap infant) all bought $99 each way saver fares for 3rd week of January. On this particular flight, the saver rows in the back were partially booked so we couldn't select seats together at booking. Should be interesting to see how they handle the seat assignments! This is a route we fly several times per year and the $99 saver fare is equivalent to what we have usually paid on this flight prior to the Saver rollout. And no, I refuse to pay the $240 price hike for the privilege of selecting seats when the saver fare is no less than the historical price for this flight.
Very interested to hear what Alaska does. Had a friend recently fly one one of the big 3 airlines on their version of a saver fair and they split her, her 3 year old son, and her 6 year old son all up into different middle seats throughout the plane and was told “tough” Luckily she convinced some poor man to give up his aisle seat for a middle seat in the back of the plane so that she could at least sit with the three year old. Kind of unfair to that gentleman though. Guessing that’s why Alaska says the saver option is not recommended for parties of two or more
Jan 18, 2019, 6:02 pm
#567
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
Tomorrow is our flight. 1 adult and 2 children were booked in same PNR through 3rd party (using ThankYou points). These were assigned at T-24 into Row 15 ABC. 1 adult booked directly with Alaska (MVP) into X, assigned seat 23F at T-24. So far, pleased with how this worked out.
Also, moving to 2+2 instead of 1+3 should be easy (it would require moving someone from a middle to a window or aisle, which most people will gladly accept)
Jan 19, 2019, 7:49 am
#568
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: SEA
Programs: HH Silver
Posts: 2,400
Boy, the availablity of Saver (X) fare seats available sure changes as you get close to departure. Looking at a flight departing tomorrow, almost all the seats except premium are saver. Even the "Elite" seats that I asked to have my partner upgraded to last week is available.
Last edited by tatterdema; Jan 19, 2019 at 9:20 am
Jan 19, 2019, 9:16 am
#569
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: 21,357
Jan 19, 2019, 9:26 am
#570
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: SEA
Programs: HH Silver
Posts: 2,400
I am seeing it mostly on longer flights. SEA-HNL for one has Saver seats in the exit row. The one above is SEA-PVR. I am not seeing it on flights like SEA-LAS.