saver/flex price difference
Oct 4, 2013 | 6:14 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: hongkong
Programs: skywards gold
Posts: 62
saver/flex price difference
I am a gold member, and can just achieve that status each year by buying economy flex tickets. In the past I was willing to pay 30-40% more for the flex ticket to get my gold status. Now though looking at the HK - Glasgow fare at Xmas, the saver fare is HK$7773 and the flex fare is HK$13023
(Its $1000 if I needed to change date on the saver, so it still provides flexibility). Are Emirates doing this on all routes? Increasing flex fares to the point where they are nearly double the cost of saver fares is going to lose Emirates a lot of their frequent flyers .
Emirates will be losing me as a customer in the future with this price disparity, as without status lounge access at Dubai I would choose other airlines.
(Its $1000 if I needed to change date on the saver, so it still provides flexibility). Are Emirates doing this on all routes? Increasing flex fares to the point where they are nearly double the cost of saver fares is going to lose Emirates a lot of their frequent flyers .
Emirates will be losing me as a customer in the future with this price disparity, as without status lounge access at Dubai I would choose other airlines.
Oct 4, 2013 | 6:42 am
#3
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold
Posts: 6,796
To be honest, even with the lower price difference of 30-40%, I'm not sure I could see myself shelling out on the flex fare PURELY for the benefit of lounge access as you have been doing until now. And even if you found yourself having to pay $1000 for a date change on a saver, it's surely more than compensated for by the far lower initial ticket cost vs flex.
But maybe I'm missing something here ......?
Oct 4, 2013 | 7:21 am
#4
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 454
It seems to be the way it's going. I'm finding when I do my searches that Saver fares are fewer and far between compared to even a year ago. The wise heads on the forum suggest Saver fares might become available closer to proposed departure time and advise playing a waiting game until they (might) become available. It also seems that the disparity between Saver and Flex prices varies considerably (with route and probably time of year and demand for tickets etc).
Oct 4, 2013 | 7:37 am
#5
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: JNB
Programs: Skywards Gold, Marriot Rewards Silver, SPG Gold, Hilton Honors, Etihad Guest Gold, SAA Voyager,
Posts: 93
If lounge access is all you are after...the price difference you mentioned on the ticket is more than the annual membership fee for Priority Pass (+- $100 to $300 or so last I checked) or the annual fee for most decent credit cards with lounge access benefits...
Lounge access is nice, but I don't think it is worth paying 40% extra on a ticket a couple of times a year (if thats all you want and the bonus miles etc. aren't taken into account).
Lounge access is nice, but I don't think it is worth paying 40% extra on a ticket a couple of times a year (if thats all you want and the bonus miles etc. aren't taken into account).
Oct 4, 2013 | 9:10 am
#6
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 454
If lounge access is all you are after...the price difference you mentioned on the ticket is more than the annual membership fee for Priority Pass (+- $100 to $300 or so last I checked) or the annual fee for most decent credit cards with lounge access benefits...
Lounge access is nice, but I don't think it is worth paying 40% extra on a ticket a couple of times a year (if thats all you want and the bonus miles etc. aren't taken into account).
Lounge access is nice, but I don't think it is worth paying 40% extra on a ticket a couple of times a year (if thats all you want and the bonus miles etc. aren't taken into account).
Oct 4, 2013 | 9:32 am
#7
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold
Posts: 6,796
But with all respect to the OP, he chooses to buy Y fares (as per his post) and so his lounge access has hitherto been down to his Gold status rather than through ticket/class, regardless of whether flex/saver etc. And so he is now - understandably - questioning the financial viability of continuing to maintain Gold.
Oct 5, 2013 | 1:31 am
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 10,043
You don't have much other choice if flying to Glasgow without having a long leg and a short one. Two mid length flights as with EK is my preferred option, so until EY or QR fly to Scotland we have to make the most of it.
Oct 11, 2013 | 1:13 am
#9
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: JNB
Programs: Skywards Gold, Marriot Rewards Silver, SPG Gold, Hilton Honors, Etihad Guest Gold, SAA Voyager,
Posts: 93
Oct 11, 2013 | 1:39 am
#10
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 454
Oct 11, 2013 | 3:51 am
#11
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: JNB
Programs: Skywards Gold, Marriot Rewards Silver, SPG Gold, Hilton Honors, Etihad Guest Gold, SAA Voyager,
Posts: 93
Oct 11, 2013 | 6:05 am
#12
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: LPB
Programs: Skywards Gold, Miles & More, SPG, Marriott
Posts: 410
Or the HK Zimbabwe $ 
( http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7509715.stm )
( http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7509715.stm )
Oct 11, 2013 | 4:26 pm
#13
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: JNB
Programs: Skywards Gold, Marriot Rewards Silver, SPG Gold, Hilton Honors, Etihad Guest Gold, SAA Voyager,
Posts: 93