How are the ranks of the first class fares with Alaska Airlines used?

Question

I see in this Alaska Airlines Fare Chart (mirror) that the first class fares have ranks with Alaska Airlines. From my understanding, ranks for the coach fares are used to prioritize which passengers to upgrade to first, but how are the ranks of the first class fares with Alaska Airlines used?

Answer 1

Quite generally (not specific to Alaska Airlines, and some may not apply in their case)…

Priority for upgrades is just one of the many attributes of a fare.

First and foremost, the biggest difference is price, and the relationship to fare buckets which dictates availability of which fares on which flight.

Then there may be rules associated to the fares, like flexibility for refunds and exchanges, advance purchase requirements, minimum/maximum stay, the need to spend the week-end, and more.

Then you may have different mileage accrual rates, priority when you need/want to be rebooked on other flights, etc.