Alaska Airlines will introduce a basic economy option this
fall, but it will not include some of the restrictions like seat selection and
carry-on baggage seen in its competitors' basic economy fares.
Passengers buying Alaska's Saver fare will be at the end of
the boarding line, as for other carrier's basic economy fares. Alaska's new
fare also offers no chance of upgrades for elite loyalty program members and
will allow no changes or cancellations, Alaska Airlines chief commercial
officer Andrew Harrison said.
While seating will be restricted to the back of the
aircraft, Alaska passengers will get a seat assignment upon booking.
"That's extremely important to people," Harrison
said. "If you look across the structure of basic economy, people have
different rules and policies around it and ours is one that meets in the middle
ground."
The fares are one of several "revenue product and
policy changes" Alaska will enact over the next few months, he said. It
also will eliminate fee waivers for changes made beyond a 60-day window, will
add a fee for exit-row seats and will introduce a dynamic-pricing model for
premium seating.
Those initiatives are projected to add $150 million in
revenue for Alaska in 2019, two-thirds of that coming from the basic economy
fares alone, Harrison said.
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Source: Business Travel News