Swiss rail pass options Basel to Lucerne and Berner Oberland

Are you flying into Zurich, or arriving in Luzern by rail from elsewhere in Europe?
No reservations are required. but could be useful for going to the Jungfraujoch. But make sure the weather will be favorable for your travel date. Make the day before after checking the weather report and go as early in the day as you can.

Are you aware of the Swiss Travel Pass sale that starts April 15? You receive free days on the various passes. Just to make this more confusing......
And are you planning on Mt Rigi, Mt Pilatus , and or Mt Stanserhorn in Lucerne?...
More elements to consider....

We are finishing a Viking rhine cruise in Basel 4/29. Then by train to Lucern for 2 nights. Transit to Lauterbrunnen 5/1 for 3 nights and then back to Basel 5/4 for fly back home 5/5.
Confused over choice of Swiss rail pass, 1/2 price pass or the Berner Oberland pass. We plan to take the Schilthornbahn cable car to Gimmelwald, Murren, and maybe Schilthorn itself. Maybe go to Jungfraunoch if good weather. Not sure of plans for our day and 1/2 in Lucerne.

Anyway travel passes are confusing and unclear what travel needs reservations even if you have travel pass.
Any help appreciated

Like a lot of calculations, it depends. Most times, there is not a clear answer as it all depends on what side trips you are planning on. Whichever strategy you choose, it will still be a sizeble outlay on your part, and either buying a pass or paying as you go, it may not be a huge difference. so here are my thoughts.

Buy a 30-day Half Fare Card for 120 CHF pp, and a 4-day Berner Oberland Pass for 175 CHF pp (with the Half Fare discount).

Got a go, I'll explain later.

You can do as the locals do: Get the Half Fare Card. Then just buy tickets. None of the trains you plan on taking require advance reservation.

The 6-day Swiss Travel Pass cost is 359 CHF 2nd cl. It covers all public transportation to inhabited Swiss cities, towns, and villages. Above these, most operators give a discount. The Schilthornbahn above Muerren gives 50%, the Wengneralpbahn gives 25% above Wengen and Grindelwald.

The Half Fare Card plus the Berner Oberland Pass will cost 295 CHF and will cover the Wengneralpbahn above Wengen as far Eigergletcher, and 50% discount up to the Jungfraujoch. I addition to this, you will have to pay for tickets from Basel to Luzern, which is 17 CHF at half fare, and 20.50 CHF for Bern to Basel at half fare. In Basel, the local tourist card you get from your hotel will cover the bus to the airport. So that comes to 332.50 CHF with better coverage in the Berner Oberland. Depending on what excursions you do in Luzern, you will have to pay for these using the Half Fare Card.

Example: the full fare round trip ticket from Wengen to the Jungfraujoch is 188 CHF. With the Swiss Travel Pass, it is 141 CHF. With the Berner Oberland Pass, it is free to Eigergletcher then 50% to the Jungfraujoch, so that is 63 CHF round trip.

I'm having the same issue regarding travel passes and keep staring at the spreadsheet I've created. I will travel from Venice to Luzern a day ahead of the start of Sept. Rick Steves "Best of Switzerland". We go to the Schilthorn while based in Murren on the tour.

When the tour ends in Bern, I will travel back to Murren for 3 nights before flying home from Zurich.

The half fare card will help for my trip from Venice and my planned trip to Mt. Pilatus. I THINK I'll end up buying the Berner Oberland 3 or 4 day pass but I can decide that when my tour ends. The BOP will cover my travels from Bern back to BO and return to Zurich at least as far as Luzern and the half fare card the remainder.
If I purchased a STP I would probably want the 6 day Flex pass which is not included in the sale that has been mentioned previously.