Alaska Airlines has announced there will be changes to its ‘Saver fare’ bucket with regard to mileage earning rates. And sadly, the devaluation was inevitable as the airline cuts the earning rates by 70%.
Alaska Airlines Cuts Mileage Earning Rates On Saver Fare By 70%
The news about Alaska Airlines axing saver fare eaning first surfaced a couple of days ago among frequent flyer groups when the airline changed to earning chart without a notice. And as it has been official, let us go over what will be the changes.
Historically, the airline’s Saver fares which are equivalent to ‘Basic Economy’ on US legacy carriers offered 100% mileage earning rates but now this has changed.
Here are the changes for tickets booked starting May 22, 2023, and for travel as of July 19, 2023.
- Saver fare guests earn miles at a rate of 30% of Main Cabin fares instead of 100%
- Complimentary upgrades for Mileage Plan elites may be available 2 hours prior to departure. However, upgrades with miles are not allowed with a Saver fare
Moreover, for tickets purchased on or after July 19, 2023, Saver fares are eligible for a credit of 50% of the ticket value when canceled at least 14 days prior to the departure of the first flight on the ticket.
While the good news is, there are some policies that will remain the same as well:
- Advance seat selections are not possible
- You can continue to bring a free carry-on bag and a free personal item
- When traveling with children 13 or younger, passengers will still be assigned seats together
Alaska Airlines Saver Fare Changes: Good Or Bad?
To be honest, in my opinion, the changes with the Saver fare are not worse than we first thought. I understand that the value of earning miles decreased significantly, however, at the same time, there are some benefits such as complimentary upgrades introduced.
I cannot say what is good or bad about the changes since it is all up to what you value the most when flying with the airline. For example, you can now receive at least 50% of a refund when canceling before 14 days.
Alaska Airlines still offer one of the most generous policies when it comes to its Basic Economy fares compared to other US carriers where you can both bring your carry-ons without extra cost and earn miles at reduced rates.
Summary
Alaska Airlines officially announced changes to its Saver fare policies and benefits after a no-notice devaluation earlier this week. The airline now cuts mileage earning rates on the Saver fare to 30% which is major as it usually offered 100%.
However, there are some positive changes as well Mileage Plan elites now are eligible for an upgrade and also every passenger can receive a 50% refund when canceling their tickets. Otherwise, Alaska Airlines is still one of my favorite US airlines to earn and redeem on miles.
