Are there really any BIG downsides to basic economy (Saver) on short Q400 flights?
Dec 5, 2018, 1:57 pm
#16
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 998
Thanks for the clarification on the SDC. That's certainly a non-issue for me on these flights. The change fee cost would be too great to be worth it on this route and there is almost always less then $50 difference between the cheapest flight that day and most expensive, unless it's short notice/holiday travel, and since my trips are almost always just "heading up to Seattle to hang out for the day" I would simply pick a different (cheaper) weekend.
Dec 5, 2018, 3:50 pm
#19
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: ANC
Programs: Alaska 100k
Posts: 1,012
I booked my first Saver fare yesterday for January. My SO had already booked one, so it's highly unlikely that I will need to change. I selected my seat at the back of the Q400. I'm going to miss 1A/B 
Dec 5, 2018, 4:25 pm
#21
Join Date: May 2013
Location: SEA
Programs: AS MVP Gold 100K
Posts: 2,030
Dec 5, 2018, 8:01 pm
#22
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 998
Wait, so you do still select your seat on saver fares?? I thought they were auto assigned either at check in or at the gate...
Dec 5, 2018, 8:05 pm
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
That is why I was saying earlier that on a plane with middle seats, I would NOT postpone picking your seat, and hoping that you get auto-assigned a good seat because all the crappy saver seats are gone. It's much more likely that the other saver passengers pick the saver-eligible window and aisle seats and you end up in the back row middle.
Dec 5, 2018, 9:51 pm
#24
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,830
I've been annoyed by the "high" prices between PSC and SEA (especially when compared to SEA to LAX sometimes). These fares always seem to be $80 to $100 one way, for a very short ~45 min flight on a Q400. I normally fly this route just for leisure and usually it's just a same day flight or just an overnight stay. Other then not picking your seat, is there any real downside to these fares when the route is short and all the seats kinda suck (I mean it's a Q400, not like I'm stuck with a middle seat or something).
Are these fares more likely to get bumped compared to a main fare?
Would I still get a free checked bag since I'm an Alaska credit card holder?
Do I even care about the checked bag? Often bags are checked at a la cart on Q400s anyway, I still would have access to that with 1 properly sized carry on, right?
Do you still really earn miles on the saver fares? It says actual miles flown, which I think means it's 1 to 1 and not some 50% earning rate, BUT, flight under 500 miles just get rounded up to 500, do saver fares get 500 miles and count as a segment?
I'm usually really opposed to these fares since they normally only cut $20 to $40 off that you pay back in extra fees, but when not taking a bag or just 1 carry one the fare doesn't seem half bad, especially because round trip now is like $109 after tax!
Are these fares more likely to get bumped compared to a main fare?
Would I still get a free checked bag since I'm an Alaska credit card holder?
Do I even care about the checked bag? Often bags are checked at a la cart on Q400s anyway, I still would have access to that with 1 properly sized carry on, right?
Do you still really earn miles on the saver fares? It says actual miles flown, which I think means it's 1 to 1 and not some 50% earning rate, BUT, flight under 500 miles just get rounded up to 500, do saver fares get 500 miles and count as a segment?
I'm usually really opposed to these fares since they normally only cut $20 to $40 off that you pay back in extra fees, but when not taking a bag or just 1 carry one the fare doesn't seem half bad, especially because round trip now is like $109 after tax!