OMAguy

just read this in my weekly email update from Alaska Air

here is the link to the full announcement

link

specifically -

"If you are accustomed to booking through other channels, you will notice that the fares eligible for instant upgrades are moving from “Q” class and above to “H” class and above. Many markets will show no change in the upgrade fare qualification and in other markets you may see modest increases."

does this mean Q class is going away - or you can no longer get an upgrade at time of booking Q class?

Eastbay1K

It sounds like Q just enters the upgrade roulette series of fare classes. Hey, at least they gave us over 24 hours' notice of the change Yay streamlining. I love releases like this that try and make "bend over" seem like "here's your lollipop."

missydarlin

Q class isn't going away. There is a redesign to the fare structure going into place that will move Q class into "Bargain Fares" on as.com and they will no longer be eligible for immediate upgrade.

Flyer23

So does this mean that when I book what used to be a Q fare, it will now be an H fare? (or some other fare class eligible for instant upgrade)

On my most frequent AS route, SJC-SEA, I almost always book into Q on the cheapest non-refundable fares purchased through my corporate travel agency, even when booking weeks in advance. If I'll now book into something that's not eligible for an immediate upgrade, that's one less reason for me to stretch for MVPG next year.

missydarlin

No. Q fares will still exist.

If you are trying to get the cheapest non-refundable fare and are getting Q class, then it sounds like you might be booking busy travel days/times on a regular basis? Right now, the cheapest fares in that market are 14 day advance and are well below the Q class fares.

deelmakur

Just another stealth increase. No different than car rental guys quoting rates without the gazillions of dollars of local taxes they collect and remit, while some poor slob sits there and says, "but my rate was supposed to be $19, not $34", or Internet merchants putting ship and handling charges on, that are as much as what you bought. Then there's weight charges for suitcases, when one is over, but the total of all you have is really under, but you really don't want to unpack your undies in front of the whole airport, while you move things from bag to bag (it's bad enough they can see the holes in your socks). Or change fees, and fees for a paper ticket, or charges if you make a res over the phone after the computer has had a brain *#*@ (expletive deleted, but it rhymes with cart). It all started when the phone company began interrupting busy signals to tell you they'd wait until the other person got off the phone, and then make your free call for a buck. Just think of it as buying, not an air ticket, but actually a fee, or minimum threshold, with a ticket attached. Heck, Best Buy and Circuit City have been selling warranties with appliances atttached, for years. You wonder why the airlines don't stop this stuff, and just raise the price. It ends up the same way, without the rancor.

Tracer_SEA

Yet another cost-cutting move by AS that affects its most loyal, highest-spending customers with virtually no notice.

Following on the heels of things like the ending of the online booking bonus and the massive PITA change fee for agency-issued tickets, which does not include even a day-of-travel exception and makes AS uncompetitive with the major carriers, who offer same day $25 confirmed changes regardless of where the ticket was purchased.

And who knows what's coming if AS does roll out the rumored MVP Platinum tier... Are Gold benefits going to be reduced further? And when are they going to bother giving us the heads-up? (Will it be buried under the packing material of the Xmas cookies? :-)

I'm with Flyer23 -- these are really starting to add up and make me question how I plan to allocate my flying in 2007. There's a reason I've maintained my 1P status on UA...

Seattlenerd

I've always considered the immediate upgrade availability on AS to be a nice bonus, but I hardly expect it every time. In some cases, no matter what the fare class, it simply isn't available -- either sold out in terms of instant upgrade seats or there aren't any on that flight for other reasons.

I don't feel entitled to it. I'm still waitlisted for FC as an MVP Gold.

As to the post where someone is worrying about publicly displaying holes in their socks due to shifting luggage from one bag to another, consider this advice: Buy new socks.

Eastbay1K

But then you can decide on the day you buy your ticket "ok, I won't by a Q or higher because there's no U space today - I'll just buy the cheapest fare." It is more than a "bonus" because it is really an entitlement of the program - you can guarantee your upgrade by paying Q+ for your seat, and know in advance if you will get the guaranteed seat.

DuckDuckSwan

If nothing else, I think that more notice would be appropriate...say January 1, 2007 for the new policy. This, to me, looks rushed and disorganized.

AS FF Guru

I'm disappointed to see the unnecessary backlash on this. I think this is more misunderstanding than anything else. I'd be even more disappointed to see some of our valued MVPGs take your business to another carrier because of a misunderstanding.

From all I've read and seen, and I could be wrong, but this is more of a technical adjustment to simplify online shopping at AlaskaAir.com, rather than any attempt at decreasing of MVPG benefits. As the site says, most markets will see either no difference in fares or only a very slight difference in fares, which is not entirely unexpected considering fuel costs. It's just a matter of booking the ticket in a different class of service.

Why the sudden exodus to UA?

AS FF Guru

The site says:

"If you are accustomed to booking through other channels, you will notice that the fares eligible for instant upgrades are moving from “Q” class and above to “H” class and above. Many markets will show no change in the upgrade fare qualification and in other markets you may see modest increases."

I must've lost you somewhere, but how is this a stealth increase?

Seattlenerd

I'm equally mystified at the reaction. It's not that Q = fixed dollar amount and H = fixed dollar amount. They're fare classes. Not fares.

The proof as to the effect will be in the implementation.

Tracer_SEA

It's stealth because it's not like the "other channels" display little gold diamonds next to some fares and not others -- so for the vast majority of people who don't read this thread on FT, or didn't notice the announcement link under a paragraph of text about web check-in enhancements in the email, how are they supposed to know about this change? And it's also stealth for being announced on Monday and implemented on Wednesday!

And for those who don't understand why this might be seen as a further erosion of benefits, wasn't it as recent as early last year that an MVPG could confirm an upgrade at booking on ANY fare no matter what class? Then there was the cutback to Q, now H... At this rate it could be full Y by next year.

OMAguy

i am awaiting the implementation to see if there is a difference. i am one who buys Q+ fares for the immediate upgrade since i fly out of ORD. i assumed (and it looks like i assumed wrong) that since H is a bucket higher than Q, and upgrades are available on H+ fares now at booking, that H fare may be a little more than Q fare and thus I will be paying a little more. it sounds like our helpful 'insiders' have discounted that theory, and that this is simply a technical adjustment and fares will be adjusted accordingly. i apologize in advance for any hysteria i caused by starting this thread - i just found it odd that a change was made that could potential effect immediate upgrades.

i can assure you that this will not mean i am switching to another airline over something as trivial as this - AS still has one of the best upgrade programs in the country for its frequent flyers - we have been spoiled for so many years! as i wrote in a different thread today, the service i received last night on AS10 is by far superior to any service on any other domestic airline - AS still will be my number one choice when it is practical!