Despite having spent HOURS on spreadsheets of various trips concentrated in only the Lucerne region next month, I think I may have ended up with not such a good choice!

I purchased the BOGO Swiss Saverpasses this morning, but just now realize that it gives only 50% off the Golden Roundtrip to Pilatus, is not valid on the Kraebel Luftseilbahn to Rigi Scheidegg, is not valid on the Urmibergbahn in Brunnen, and may give only an unspecified reduction on the Treib-Seelisberg funicular !
I was especially counting on full coverage for Pilatus Golden Roundtrip---96CHF...
Can anyone confirm this?
(And I thought that I had done due diligence!)

Swiss Passes only give 50% off of all those things I think - the rule being that if a train, bus, boat or aerial gondola, etc link two towns, even hamlets it some cases (like Gimmelwald in the Berner Oberland from Stechelberg) then it is 100% cfovered (why aerial cableways Lauterbrunnen to Grutschalp and train to Murren is 100% covered - most aerial cable ways only link a town to a mountain top, etc - no real town and those are 50% off usually.

If you have a flexipass then on days not 100% covered you again get 50% off practically everything that moves in Switzerland - on the days in between your first and last 100% covered days - once the last day is used up the pass is no longer valid for anything.

For lots of good info on Swiss trains and passes and possible answers to those questions check out these IMO fantastic sites http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id3.html and www.ricksteves.com. and www.swisstravelsytem.com.

Most passes can be refunded minus 15 or 20 % of the purchase price for up to gix months or one year - so if you find once there the pass is not a good deal simply do not activate it and then return it for a refund.

I know for a fact that the pass only gets you a 50% discount on aerial tramways such as those which ascend Mt. Titlis but given the expense otherwise I was happy to get the discount.

You get a 50% discount for Kraebel Luftseilbahn. No discount for Urmibergbahn. Golden Roundtrip (Pilatus) is covered 50%. Treib-Seelisberg should be 50% as well.

Thanks everyone.
Reworking my numbers, even with "only" 50% off, for this once, the SwissPass DOES beat the Half-Fare Card (and the TellPass)for me!

I would think the more you use any pass it is eventually going to beat the HalfFare card.

plus with a pass I always find myself doing more than I suspected or would have if I had had to pay for every ride - like on a foul weather day in the Alps I can day trip to Bern from Jungfrau without thinking about cost if a consecutive-day pass, etc.

To see what exactly is covered with a Swiss Pass look at the Switzerland map that comes with the pass - lines in solid are 100% covered - dashed lines at 50% covered (I think as I am not currently looking at such a map) - if you do not have a pass you do not have the map but it is online I am sure at www.sbb.ch - official site of Swiss Railways.

since most aerial gondolas do not link cities or towns they are 50% covered - long funicular like from Sierre up to that fancy ski resort - a really long LONG two-stage antique funicular thus is covered 100% and ones from Lauterbrunnen to Murren and Gimmelwald, etc.

but just now realize that it gives only 50% off the Golden Roundtrip to Pilatus>

I love Pilatus, especially the thrilling railway from Lake Lucerne and Alpnachstad to the Kulm or summit but practically every time I've been in Lucerne Pilatus itself has been shrouded in clouds - fog or clouds and weirdly so because it often seems to be cloudy there when the rest of the sky is clear.

Thus if the Pilatus is clear hop on it - do not wait until tomorrow IME!