Understanding [Fare Buckets] Expert Flyer

[serfty]

Sometimes you cannot see award availability at all and need to try to interpret what the airline reveals with the GDS.

Also award class bucket codes letter may vary between airlines. I don't know that CX uses U, while Qantas does.

 

[Nizar]

You cannot search for Award Availability on CX using EF.
You will need to search using KVS tool, Asia Miles, JAL etc

Ok thanks.
For what airlines can you search Award Availability for using EF ?

 

[Happy Trails]

Ok thanks.
For what airlines can you search Award Availability for using EF ?

There's a link to a comprehensive list in the FAQs:

ExpertFlyer.com

 

[Danger]

I have the premium version and I'm having difficulty creating a bucket alert. The problem is caused by Qatar's apparent love of married segments, meaning as a standalone flight, there's plenty of availability in the fare bucket I want, but when it's married there's no availability. I can only create an alert for the individual flight, which has heaps of availability, but I need to know of availability when it's married.

Any ideas?

 

[serfty]

Have you tried AAA-CCC?

I presume it's the same flight number.

Even if you have, it won't show availability for the direct unless the airline makes it available.

 

[Danger]

Have you tried AAA-CCC?

I presume it's the same flight number.

Even if you have, it won't show availability for the direct unless the airline makes it available.

No, it's not the same flight number. It's DME-DOH-JFK. There are two flights DME-DOH and one DOH-JFK. QR only allows you to book both on the one PNR if you take the earlier DME-DOH which doesn't suit me. So inputting DME-JFK via DOH in EF brings up the two options, but with different availability on the DME-DOH sector. I can only create a seat alert for DME-DOH, not DME-xDOH-JFK. The availability is different as a standalone flight then it is for a throughfare.

 

[serfty]

No, it's not the same flight number. It's DME-DOH-JFK. There are two flights DME-DOH and one DOH-JFK. QR only allows you to book both on the one PNR if you take the earlier DME-DOH which doesn't suit me. So inputting DME-JFK via DOH in EF brings up the two options, but with different availability on the DME-DOH sector. I can only create a seat alert for DME-DOH, not DME-xDOH-JFK. The availability is different as a standalone flight then it is for a throughfare.

In that case, unless E/F make some enhancements, you are SOL on that one.

I used the other reference as it's an issue I have come across.

 

[zainman]

I have the premium version and I'm having difficulty creating a bucket alert. The problem is caused by Qatar's apparent love of married segments, meaning as a standalone flight, there's plenty of availability in the fare bucket I want, but when it's married there's no availability. I can only create an alert for the individual flight, which has heaps of availability, but I need to know of availability when it's married.

Any ideas?

I faced this issue with QR a few months ago. basically I could see availability KHI-DOH and DOH-MEL but not KHI-MEL. I emailed EF about it and thats where I first heard the term 'married segments'. They said they do not support married segment availability and going by what you have posted, they still don't. Sorry I couldn't help but just another data point to say that the issue does exist.

I then simply used QR website to check availability but yes, unable to get any alerts.

 

[Danger]

I faced this issue with QR a few months ago. basically I could see availability KHI-DOH and DOH-MEL but not KHI-MEL. I emailed EF about it and thats where I first heard the term 'married segments'. They said they do not support married segment availability and going by what you have posted, they still don't. Sorry I couldn't help but just another data point to say that the issue does exist.

I then simply used QR website to check availability but yes, unable to get any alerts.

Interesting.

I've read on Flyertalk that QR has a real love affair with married segments.

 

[Danger]

Is this new on the flight availability page?



I looked at an Australia-Asia QF flight on Good Friday where every Economy bucket is zero. That's with the point of sale set to US. If I set it to UK (which is the only other option) all Economy buckets are either closed for waitlist or waitlist available, but no seats. But on the QF website only the saver seats are sold with flex and semi-flex having mutiple seats available. Interestingly, setting the ITA matrix to Sydney as the sale city produces only Business seats on the QF flight, nothing at all in Economy.

I understand that airlines price markets differently but if you can only set the point of sale to either US or UK, won't this significantly reduce the reliability of EF for Australian-based (and other) users?

 

[Princess Fiona]

Is this new on the flight availability page?

View attachment 23846

I looked at an Australia-Asia QF flight on Good Friday where every Economy bucket is zero. That's with the point of sale set to US. If I set it to UK (which is the only other option) all Economy buckets are either closed for waitlist or waitlist available, but no seats. But on the QF website only the saver seats are sold with flex and semi-flex having mutiple seats available. Interestingly, setting the ITA matrix to Sydney as the sale city produces only Business seats on the QF flight, nothing at all in Economy.

I understand that airlines price markets differently but if you can only set the point of sale to either US or UK, won't this significantly reduce the reliability of EF for Australian-based (and other) users?

Don't think it's new, been there as long as I can remember.

 

[serfty]

Don't think it's new, been there as long as I can remember.

It was introduced in April 2011.

 

[Danger]

Okay. So it's not new. Any ideas on why the significant discpreancy between what EF is showing and what QF is showing?

 

[Danger]

How do I use ExpertFlyer to determine published routing options between city pairs?

I'm wanting to book an AAdvantage award on CX travelling PER-xSYD-xHKG-MNL but I don't know if CX allows that combination.

 

[serfty]

How do I use ExpertFlyer to determine published routing options between city pairs?

I'm wanting to book an AAdvantage award on CX travelling PER-xSYD-xHKG-MNL but I don't know if CX allows that combination.

There are default routings shown through the "Travel Information" menu's "Connecting Cities" option. www.expertflyer.com/air/travelInformation.do

However, many times I have found a fare's rules would override those.

It's likely better to use E/F do a search for CX fares between PER and MNL and look up some likely routing rules from there. [Edit: Although, they seem to be MPM bases.]

 

[Danger]

There are default routings shown through the "Travel Information" menu's "Connecting Cities" option. www.expertflyer.com/air/travelInformation.do

However, many times I have found a fare's rules would override those.

It's likely better to do a search for CX fares between PER and MNL and look up some likely routing rules from there.

Thanks for that.

It seems that under the 'Double connect points' heading there is SYD-HKG when I choose PER-MNL as the arrival and departure city. But when searching Cathay, I can only find PER-xHKG-MNL. Searching using the matrix, however, and using the advanced routing box "qf syd cx hkg" does give the option I'm looking for. Is it a matter of me providing the AAdvantage agent with the fare basis or something?

 

[zainman]

n00b question:

If EF tells me that the following availability for a QF flight, F4 A3, does that mean there are a total of 7 First class seats available to be sold on that flight? Wondering if there is a magic number as to the minimum number of seats available to be sold on a flight for F class before QF PLAT line will look into releasing 1 or 2 of them on request for an award...

Hope I made sense..

 

[serfty]

Max 4 ... see post 3

F4/A3 to me indicates 10 seats already gone. I could not say much to your seat release chances other than 'good luck'.

 

[zainman]

Thanks serfty.

I was looking at QF9 MEL-DXB on 25th July 2014. F5/A4. Will try my luck with the WP line.

 

[nicky286]

QF flight

[TD="class: availSeatsLabel"][/TD]
[TD="class: availSeatsValue cabinValue"]J/9 C/9 D/9 I/9 U/0 [/TD]
[TD="class: availSeatsLabel"][/TD]
[TD="class: availSeatsValue cabinValue"]Y/9 B/9 H/9 K/9 M/9 L/9 V/9 S/9 N/9 Q/9 O/9 G/0 X/0 E/0 [/TD]

any one can explain that above means ?

Thank you