P1 availability?

[simongr]

Hi all
Just checking some flights for potential availability. I just saw on EF that on QF2 BKK-SYD it is F6 A6 P1.
I haven't seen P1 before - and there is no P availability - no P at all on the flights up.
Any thoughts?
S

 

[ozmille]

P is the award booking code in First. For some reason EF must be able to see it.

Mille

 

[aus_flyer]

Expert Flyer has been able to see P on QF for a while now. Very handy!

 

[serfty]

Expert Flyer has been able to see P on QF for a while now. Very handy!

Yup - interestingly it does show P, U, Z and X when there is availability (never see 0's).

However one needs to specify QF as the airline before making the query.

I have a feeling E/F and QF have come to an arrangement; seat maps for QF (domestic?) flights generally only display these days if your (elite) frequent flyer number is in the profile.

 

[dfcatch]

Yup - interestingly it does show P, U, Z and X when there is availability (never see 0's).

However one needs to specify QF as the airline when making the query.

I have a feeling E/F and QF have come to an arrangement; seat maps for QF (domestic?) flights generally only display these days if your (elite) frequent flyer number is in the profile.

I noticed that too on some queries last week.

 

[drewbles]

I noticed that too on some queries last week.

I've also noticed that seat maps on QF (for advance seat selection) can and often do differ greatly to those on EF. One flight I had PER-MEL the other day was showing my seat as available on EF, yet QF had me in my allocated seat. I wonder if it shows empty until I check-in (this one was under T-24 and I was using NGCI at PER).

Didn't matter in the end as I upgraded to J but it was interesting to see how vastly different the seat maps were.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Yes I was relying on EF and it was totally incorrect in terms of seats for sale. It showed the flight wide open when in fact they were oversold in Y !!

What is going on here?

 

[serfty]

Yes I was relying on EF and it was totally incorrect in terms of seats for sale. It showed the flight wide open when in fact they were oversold in Y !!

What is going on here?

Economy Seat maps are not a good guide to Qantas availability.

One needs to have status to preselect a seat these days (maybe full fare as well?), so large numbers of unallocated seats ≠ 'empty flight'.

It all changes significantly for international flights with a lot more blocked seats once you reach T-80.

All E/F does is show which seats are pre-allocated, blocked or available for one of the QFF status entered into the E/F profile. (i.e. A different QFF number will return different results, generally with more blocked seats for those of lesser status.) I have found it very accurate.

 

[dfcatch]

I've also noticed that seat maps on QF (for advance seat selection) can and often do differ greatly to those on EF. One flight I had PER-MEL the other day was showing my seat as available on EF, yet QF had me in my allocated seat. I wonder if it shows empty until I check-in (this one was under T-24 and I was using NGCI at PER).

Didn't matter in the end as I upgraded to J but it was interesting to see how vastly different the seat maps were.

I've seen this before where EF suddenly showed my seat as available sometime during T-24, in these instances I was op-up'd and EF was showing that QF had released my allocation.

MMB still had me sitting in original seat though.

 

[medhead]

In terms of availability and seat maps my take is the following happens.

• everyone is assigned a nominal seat
• you can take any nominal seat assigned to someone with lower status
• you can not take a seat of someone with equal status
• you can not take a preselected seat or checked in seat at all regardless of status.

So platinum flyers are going to see a heap of empty seats on a seat map, which only tells you that those seats are still nominal seats and haven't been 'taken' yet.

 

[drewbles]

I've seen this before where EF suddenly showed my seat as available sometime during T-24, in these instances I was op-up'd and EF was showing that QF had released my allocation.

MMB still had me sitting in original seat though.

Very interesting. Last time this happened to me, the back of the b*s was not full, as I asked at the PER QP. I used points to do an ODU.

I wonder if I would have been op-up'd. Doubtful but will never know

 

[serfty]

I often do a "Seat Alert" for a seat I have allocated for international flights - this often gives me a "heads up" if an upgrade has come though (or [Egad!] an equipment change).

I may try the same for Domestic flights ...