Does the QFF booking engine show you inventory that doesn't actually exist?

[bcworld]

I have an ongoing issue with the award booking engine on the Qantas website in that it shows me availability that I am never allowed to book. I first raised this with QF in Dec '09 when I was trying to book a last minute Aus - UK flight just before Xmas and the website was surprisingly showing me availability, despite the fact that at that time the BA strike was still on and I am certain any availability would have been zeroed out.

I still have this problem...I looked again Dec '10, MEL - LHR and the site shows me plenty of availability in F (see image). If I was to try and book one of 3 things will happen: 1) selecting a day with the first icon will tell me there is no availability on that day, 2) selecting a day will show me flights but then won't be able to determine the miles cost or 3) i get a miles cost but the payment stage will fail.

Sometimes it will show me every class available on every day of a month, or sometimes like this a specific class with good 'availability'. Does this happen to anyone else? Certainly makes web booking nigh on impossible for me.

 

[ejb]

I just tried a dummy booking searching MEL-LHR for Dec-Jan and choose the 5th Jan, system gave me two options, QF9 and QF29, both F.

When I selected flight it gave me the points required however when I then proceeded it failed and said "System unable to calculate miles"

Glitch in the system?

ejb

 

[bcworld]

Glitch in the system?

If it's a glitch...it's an ongoing one. I've seen this behaviour many times over the past 6 months.

When I called before Xmas, I told the agent the website was offering me a seat MEL - LHR in PE on 21st Dec...I could get the miles quote and enter passenger / payment details but that step would fail. She told me there was no availability but logged on to the website using my details and confirmed what I was seeing.