Saver vs Main Fares on Alaska Airlines These fares have the same baggage policy as its “Main” fares, but there are differences when it comes to seat selection, boarding priority, and flight changes. They assign/distribute the seats just after starting the boarding process. 30% off Alaska Airlines flights 01/05/21-08/31/21. This is the place to post anything and everything related to Alaska Airlines. Also I believe your check in time determines how high on the “waitlist” you are, which may not even matter. Alaska's new basic economy Saver fares allow access to overhead bins, but only at last minute. Now I can't. Now that same flight is $90-$100 with the Saver Fare, meaning I pay the same price, but either sit in the very back of the plane or possible "assigned seating". Up until this moment I was able to book a cheap ticket at any time, make a change of time with the 24 hour window, and still enjoy the plan benefits. These fares tend to have many of the same restrictions as the major airlines, but have their slight differences. Never again, especially when traveling with a companion. But "Saver Fares" aren't new cheaper fares. I can see the $30 in a $200+ fare, but pretty steep to charge additional 45%-60% for the Main fare. I don’t understand why they can’t allow us to select seats at check in, or even an hour or so before the flight. Alaska Airlines is known for their monthly fare sales. Main is $160-$200 RT, $15 upgrade to premium each way. I'm looking specifically at Delta and Alaska that have the bare bones saver fare where you board last and get no seat assignment until check-in. Saver Fare? No standby is allowed for Saver fares, even for elite status guests. That blows. Here's a good article on the ADN about the new fares: https://www.adn.com/alaska-life/travel/2018/12/01/heres-what-youll-have-to-sacrifice-for-an-alaska-airlines-saver-fare/. Obviously not a normal occurence but I got lucky and that happened to be the time I had a saver flight booked that I needed to change due to work. In order to get all of my mileage plan benefits I always have to buy Main fares now which means every one of my flights have gone up by $25-$35. Share on LinkedIn. Not contain a government fare. All other Saver fare rules and restrictions apply to MVP ®, MVP ® Gold, and MVP ® Gold 75k Mileage Plan members. it’s all inflation. Crap. The saver fares are to help fill those 6-10 empty seats either empty or filled with non-rev passengers. Also, Saver Fare travelers will receive full mileage plan credit for flights. As it turns out, none of that (except earlier boarding) applies to "Saver Fares". That $149 fare is the Saver fare. Even Delta’s prices are roughly the same. It is absolutely a shrewd business move on their part, but i think stripping the ability of upgrading, and making flight changes from loyal MP members are cuts too deep. Instead of raising prices slightly on the cheapest fares and allowing plan members to keep all their benefits, you can get the fares but lose your benefits. If you ask them advance to try to seat with your companion, they may try to help but no guarantees. To get that to price, it has to work a bit differently than a regular coach fare. They didn't actually reduce the prices. When traveling with someone, it's probably worth it so you can sit together. ... which allows two free checked bags on flights to or from Alaska. Are you canceling flights or grounding aircraft? No-fee cancellations and modifications to existing bookings, better upgrades, earlier boarding. Boy was I excited! An email went out yesterday from Alaska acknowledging that they screwed up messaging on rolling these fares out to their Elite members. You can still get good deals, […] Differences in fare may apply. Southwest is the price of the Saver fare, with open seating. I used to be a Gold MVP years ago, and would be even more frustrated if I was still an MVP member. When I was looking for flights for a trip in January, saver fares were KILLER GOOD deals. I’ve only flown LAX-SFO in the last year, and have been doing so every weekend, usually for $90-$103 RT. 1 of 17. Alaska Airlines will introduce a discount ticket this fall called the Saver Fare. I constantly flew my route for $150-250 (always the cheapest option) and was able to use my MVP perks to always upgrade to Premium Seats. Looking at the new Alaska Saver fares and the upgrade cost to Main fares. I looked at other routes to compare, and I’m flabbergasted that a 55 min flight on an extremely popular route is nearly the same price as flying from LAX to literal Alaska. If you book a saver fare directly on alaskaair.com, you are supposedly able to pick a seat when purchasing from one of the back rows in the plane, but cannot ever switch seats. Previously, Alaska's change fee of $125 applied to all non-Saver travel, except for guests traveling on refundable tickets and Mileage Plan top elite status members. They didn't actually reduce the prices. 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. Press J to jump to the feed. There should have been some olive branch to loyal customers instead of it just being mostly a cost increase for the same experience we were used to. Saver Fare tickets are similar to the basic economy offerings on American , Delta , and United . We understand the difficulties associated with being a road warrior, and want to make your flying experience with us as comfortable as possible. There technically is a way to get the Alaska saver fare refunded... when a huge snow storm hit Seattle earlier this month Alaska was allowing cancellations or changes for all flights during that weekend. I just went to book and saw that it was the same price - then I realized it's the "saver fare". I was asked to pay $99 each way instead to be considered main, which is more than I've paid for this flight in a long time. Not contain a Saver fare. On all fares including Saver, Elites receive bonus miles, baggage allowances, check-in benefits, and priority boarding. Booked multiple flights thru company booking portal and found out afterward some were saver fares. Questions about Alaska Airlines’ operation. These shouldn't be pricing out on a single fare component according to AS fare rules (but for some reason, they are) which only allows for layovers of up to 4 hours before a stopover For Main fares, a $125(USD) change fee per person applies to changes made after purchase. I had pre-booked a few flights and didn't realize they were "Saver Fares" even though it was the same exact class as before, with the same exact cost. Because of the Alaska Airlines huge price increase, in the last couple of months, I have bought zero nada zilch tickets on Alaska for that route. Only then will I pull the trigger on the "cheap" option. They reduced my status benefits without actually reducing the cost of the tickets. Press J to jump to the feed. I cannot confirm as I booked through a travel site. I will be probably be flying through southwest for all future Vegas trips. Instead they renamed their existing cheapest fares to "saver fare" and took away features that those flights used to have. I've been a longtime Alaska Air flyer, but thus far haven't been able to convince myself to buy the Saver tickets – partly due to the lack of seat assignment, and status-amenities (such as flight changes). Other than that, you still get your MVP Gold+ beverage and chocolate and with elite boarding status you don't have to worry about the bin space. Code is FLYWITHME. Have been issued at alaskaair.com, the Alaska Airlines reservation call center, or an Alaska ticket counter. Though I usually book directly on alaskaair.com, I unknowingly booked saver class through a travel site to get a package discount for Vegas. I have 24 segments in & was close to making MVP so I was really excited to hit that tier next year but these prices are insane. The lowest fare you see on Alaska Airlines will most often be its new “Saver” fare. From what I'm reading trying to book some flights you can still get the cheap fare but they exclude all your milage plan benefits. I'm upset, too. I'm booking a flight for 5 people (2 adults and 3 children) and I'm trying to figure out why I wouldn't choose Saver since there are no change fees right now? Fares for all airlines in the US raise, same as COL, gas, etc. Share on Reddit. Share on Reddit. Beginning April 1, 2021, change fees will be eliminated on Main and First Class fares everywhere Alaska flies. If you are looking to book in the Holiday time frame, I wonder if you are seeing premium pricing? Now, you can find more dates available on Alaska with the Saver fares of $400 round trip. Basically the message was "we're losing a lot of money if we don't offer these to non Elite members". Looking at Alaska's website they aren't charging more for Main Cabin than they did previously for routes that I fly all the time. Our Saver fares needed to be more generous than run-of-the-mill Basic Economy fares, and they are. I travel SFO-LAX every other week. Alaska Airlines’ Saver Fare Will Include 1 Carry-On and 1 Personal Item per Passenger. I don't know what kind of experiences you're looking for... the benefits/downsides are pretty cut and dry. So your Saver fare is actually a bargain to you? If you choose not to select seats on a Saver fare, … Am I missing something? If there's any chance you would want to do a same-day flight change, you would want to pay for Main Cabin, but at that point, you're paying $40 for a chance at a flight change if you even end up needing it. I didn't get any upgrade options, and instead they gave me with a tiny chocolate all the way in the back of the plane and said "thanks for being MVP gold". Saver fares are non-transferable. Alaska is reportedly telling travel agents that it plans to begin selling the Saver Fares in November 2018 for travel beginning in January 2019. The new fare category aims to offer more than travelers get with basic economy fares on other airlines. When traveling alone I usually just pay the extra $30 to avoid a middle seat but am thinking traveling with 2 kids we'd fill a row perfectly (737 or A320). There’s some chatter about this in some of the frequent travelers sites as well. I have loved flying Alaska for the past 20 years, and this is the first time that I have ever felt any frustration with them. Her team will receive an incentive if the most people use their specific code so thank you in advance if you do! Basically the new saver fares stick it to the milage plan loyalists which sucks. Ever since they launched their ridiculous Saver fares, the deals have become not nearly as exciting. Saver Fares (or Basic Economy fares… Changes are not allowed on Saver fares, outside of our 24 hour cancellation policy. I can't figure out where it would … Instead they renamed their existing cheapest fares to "saver fare" and took away features that those flights used to have. What are you flying now? Now the Saver fare is $103-$110 RT, upgrade to Premium is $35 each way. Not be a partner award issued by an Alaska Airlines reservation call center or Alaska … What a terrible experience, and I’m curious if they will lose customers because of it. During the pandemic Alaska is also extending its flexible travel policy for all new ticket purchases, including Saver fares … ... help Reddit App Reddit coins Reddit premium Reddit gifts. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, https://www.adn.com/alaska-life/travel/2018/12/01/heres-what-youll-have-to-sacrifice-for-an-alaska-airlines-saver-fare/. Well with the Saver you also have to board in group E, sit at the very back of the plane or wait to be assigned a seat, and it’s still more expensive than my previous cheap flights. Another reason to jump ship to another airline. My flights from Vegas to Seattle were always $69. Lack of seat selection would typically mean that you're in a middle seat somewhere in the second half of the plane. As such, I would buy tickets about every other week. Alaska Airlines says that the checked bag benefit for elite members will apply.Also, if you have a Bank of America Alaska Airlines card, you should still get a free checked bag (for you and up to 6 companions) as long as your Alaska Airlines rewards number is attached to your flight reservation. The only thing being raised are the bag fees coming soon. I fly every other week too and I’m so upset with them but even Southwest is expensive, & United has baggage fees.... they recently had me stuck on the tarmac for 2 hours too for the damn 51 minute flight time. How Alaska Prices Saver Basic Economy Fares. We are … Alaska Airlines: Buyer beware - do not book "Saver" fares on Alaska!!! Alaska passengers who purchase Saver fares earn full miles for their trip, are allowed to bring a carry-on bag and in many cases can still be assigned a seat at the time of … Ultimately it comes down to "Is it worth spending $40 to avoid sitting in a middle seat and maybe getting a same-day flight change". Like all airlines, Alaska wants its Basic Economy fare to be a discount off the lowest selling coach fare at the time. Alaska Airlines recently introduced its version of Basic Economy, which it calls a “Saver” fare, to better align its fares with the competition. They were able to accommodate for one leg but not the other. As the carrier slowly rolls out the new fare class, the airline is telling travel agents that first flights with a Saver Fares … Does anyone here have experiences to share? The cost of fuel. My flight from LAX-SFO used to be $90-$100 round trip, provided I booked early. I recently flew with Alaska Air one-way from New York to Los Angeles for about $100 during a holiday weekend thanks to the airline's Saver Fare, which is essentially a basic economy ticket. When traveling alone, I'll save the $40 and sit in a middle. Alaska Airlines rolled out their Saver Fares late last year, much to the anger of their loyal fan base. I've had to figure out which flights do I know for certain aren't going to be changed (fingers crossed)ANDWhich flights do i really not care about creature comforts (such as west coast direct flights). But "Saver Fares" aren't new cheaper fares. I looked at other routes to compare, and I’m flabbergasted that a 55 min flight on an extremely popular route is nearly the same price as flying from LAX to literal Alaska. I do the same thing...I would book a saver fare for short Q400 flights, although I'm MUCH more likely to get upgraded (as a lowly MVP) on an E175 than a 737 so if I'm on an E175 (regardless of flight length), I wouldn't book the saver fare. Share on LinkedIn ... Alaska Airlines said it will not charge change and cancellation fees for the next two weeks. Mostly though, this just bums me out, and is the first corporate move in a long time that has me considering other airlines, which it honestly pains me to admit. On the first leg I checked in exactly 24 hours before, and we were 1st and 2nd on the waitlist. I constantly flew my route for $150-250 (always the cheapest option) and was able to use my MVP perks to always upgrade to Premium Seats. Main is $160-$200 RT, $15 upgrade to premium each way. Now the Saver fare is $103-$110 RT, upgrade to Premium is $35 each way. Alaska’s trying to be like them without nearly the same amount of perks or benefits. An upgrade to Premium used to be an additional $15 one way from Main, now it's $35 to upgrade one way from Saver. The transparency was nice but it should have come with one concillatory measure, like "hey we'll still give you free drinks". Is this a fucking joke?? As you say, if I wasn't sure I was gonna go or it was a transcon where I wanted to pick a seat, I would book a normal fare. Funneled all travele thru Alaska last year and was happy to make 75k status. Alaska is really alienating their best customers with this pricing scheme on these low fare routes. ¯_(ツ)_/¯ Southwest here I come. We don't plan on having carry-ons and I doubt we'd get upgraded. Saver fares cannot be combined with any other fare types on the same itinerary. The change fee is waived when travel is wholly within the state of Alaska on flights operated by Alaska Airlines. Thanks for the input, I’m hoping this is a fluke because I don’t see why someone would fly Alaska’s main cabin for almost double the price of competing airlines. I see $49 and $69 fares in Saver. (Image: Alaska Airlines) Show More Show Less 2 of 17 Alaska … I'd expect Alaska's customer service ratings to drop this year. You get to keep your checked baggage and early boarding perks from status (so your carry-on will be fine). I was looking for all weekends January-March 2019. Savers are cheaper and yes there are differences in features even to us 75K fliers. Alaska Airlines | Mileage Plan - Details/Discussion of Saver (Basic Economy) "X" Fares - The layover is longer than 4 hours. Saver Fares were introduced in 2018 and are supposedly a way for Alaska Airlines to … That’s when the “Saver” fare came up. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, More posts from the AlaskaAirlines community. ... exclude all except the miles earned, so at least there's that. But there’s a twist: The cheapest fares come with layovers of eight to 11 hours in both directions. Alaska Airlines' Saver Fare — its answer to other airlines' "basic economy" seats — will launch in the fall. So in essence, they are now forcing me to spend $60 more per roundtrip ticket, just to be able to upgrade seats and have the ability of canceling the ticket without a change fee. Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan™ offers unlimited complimentary Upgrades to First Class as a benefit of Elite Status membership. (I don't consider upgrade opportunities/options at all here because the only time I would choose Alaska is when they're the cheapest airline for my flight - in which case my fare class and upgrade priority at the bottom of the list anyway). This year I was pretty close to MVP Gold, so had a few extra flights to actually reach that status. What is with the price literally doubling?! Same flight, Main are an additional $30. The introduction of basic economy. This is the place to post anything and everything related to Alaska Airlines. My cheapest flight was $84 RT, and I’d usually fly Main with occasional $15 upgrades to premium. Our 24-hour cancellation policy applies to all fares, including Saver fares. A Main Cabin ticket is now $180-$200 round trip. I think it’s specifically this route that has been raised so high, and although I’ve only flown Alaska, it’s time for me to make a jump to Southwest. I wouldn't do it either unless it was a last-minute short-haul flight where I was sure I couldn't get an upgrade. Contain no more than 6 passengers in the reservation. When I found a great fare to Los Angeles for $146 one-way, I quickly clicked through to the Alaska Airlines website to find the details. I feel saver fare is complete SHIT! - See 16,090 traveler reviews, 1,532 candid photos, and great deals for Alaska Airlines, at Tripadvisor. Basic Economy, Saver Fare, Spirit Airlines… no matter how you want to call it, the airlines are moving towards a lower, more a la carte piecemeal approach to tickets. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, More posts from the AlaskaAirlines community. Doesn’t make sense to me. Saver fares purchased through March 31, 2021 cannot be changed, but they can be canceled for future travel credit under the Peace of Mind waiver. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. I get prices rising, but this radically? I am so frustrated from the saver experience that I came to this subreddit just to comment. This code was shared with me by an Alaska employee for friends and family! (If it want's you to subscribe to read, just switch to "reader view" on your browser. Prices have not been raised other than the usual demand pricing. Alaska Airlines sent out an email to Mileage Plan members this week explaining their Saver Fares and apologizing for poor communication about the introduction of the new fare class. So here I am in a middle seat at the back of the plane even though “premium” seats remained available. Airline merger. Deals are often available from $39 or $49 one way, but they’re no long as good of a deal as they used to be. And if you do book through a travel site, you definitely cannot select a seat at all unless you want to pay for an upgrade. The seats will be in the back of the plane and will board last. 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