Does anyone have any information on when the EK website will be updated to resolve the Saver/ Flex issue. I am looking to book several tickets in the next month or so, and on one of the routes it provides a saver fare. This is a Y ticket (I shall be using points to upgrade to J) YYZ-DXB-MRU. The other tickets will be in J or F, for which the website gives me Flex (which is what I want).

Would it simply be better to phone EK to ask for a Flex fare? How much extra usually is the cheapest Flex fare from the highest Saver fare?

There is no rhyme or reason to the cost or availability. It has been 19 months since the change to the new programme and no progress on the flex/saver issue.

We do know that changes are on their way. We were told at the Dubai Do that the ability to choose Saver versus Flex fares online would be available sometime during the 3rd quarter of this year.

At present, the best way to purchase flex fares is either via a TA or by booking direct with EK. I purchase flex fares between SIN-MEL all the time and the differential between the 2 is around SGD$200 (or around 20%)

The difference between the cheapest flex and highest saver is small - fares are usually in increments of $100 or EUR 50 or that's a small difference. But the website could be giving you cheapest saver - in which case, especially when a sale is on, the difference may be significant.

I think we need to consider the cheapest saver vs the cheapest flex.

Looking on Expert Flyer, the cheapest EK r/t flex fare in september is showing as being an extra CAD261 over the cheapest saver fare (12% more expensive) at CAD2499 vs CAD2188 ex tax

If wanting a flex fare, I would just book it over the phone

Xxxxx

Thanks for looking that up for me. I will wait a bit before booking to see if the new EK online booking system is up by, say, the end of September.

On another note, I have usually found that when booking over the phone with EK I get the same fare as online. I had to do a booking over the phone recently when for some reason the website would not accept my AMEX card; the agent on the phone processed it at exactly the same fare.

Given the fares are the same, why wait? There are no benefits to booking online over booking over the phone other than that you may be automatically signed up for that month's accelerator bonuses

&
ran in to this issue recently, while Expert Flyer was showing availability in a flex fare class, emirates.com would refuse to show the same availability at an acceptable price. Glitch, bad timing, who knows.

Ended up calling *drum roll* the best TA in DXB, a FT lurker who got me the ticket. Will be patient next time around, as the fare opened up a few hours later ( missed out on emirates advantage )
Subscribe to Expert Flyer, it tends to pay for itself pretty fast

Well, yes. Of course.

Should have used <sarcasm><humor> tags around my post. Dont work for them, just a customer who got tired of KVS-Tool which was linked to one computer. Most of the information can be derived using

• https://matrix1.itasoftware.com/cvg/dispatch/
• https://www.flightstats.com
• airline website and a few phone calls

If someone from expertflyer is reading this I want my $9.99 refunded, as am promoting your dumb a55 service

<humor></humor>

Disclaimer : Was and still am a fan of KVSTool, sadly a) it does not work with Linux [ not checked lately ]
b) Its linked to 1 license per machine, not the best option with respect to mobility. So sue me KVS but I still like you

I have had this small <rant> building for some time but now it has come to let it out....

Although the tier points don't mean as much now as I am over 100K already, when I have to travel in Y for personal or sometimes for work if client is not paying for J, I want to use miles to upgrade and therefore want a FLEX fare. Also I just want my full miles! I know that it can be booked over the phone, but then I dont get my Business Rewards points, (which currently is double miles!), ever since they took away the online booking bonus Business Rewards makes a nice little total.

So, I started to think about the flights I have not booked with EK since the ex-DXB flights also are mainly SAVER or a combo of saver and flex.

DXB-LHR-DXB - booked BA WT+
DXB-CAI-DXB - booked Egyptair J
DXB-CAI - booked Egyptair J (CAI-DXB was EK - booked via expedia)
DXB-YYZ-DXB - booked Swiss/AC J
DXB-CAI-DXB - booked SQ Y

and now I need to go to SIN (and DPS) and I can get the FLEX over the phone but again I want to get the BR points.

SQ can get me there (to DPS) with full miles for only slightly more than than the EK Flex to SIN. But cant upgrade. Could stay Star Alliance loyal and get to Gold by year end.

I always want to stay loyal to EK, but it is getting harder. My tier miles are down by about 20K YTD compared to last year, but overall flights with all carriers is up by about 15 flights (currently pver 70 segments). With no sign of the 4th tier, and who really knows about iO- the Flex Saver issue has to be resolved.

I feel better now :-) <rant over>