Some form of this has been discussed a long time in the past but I thought I'll call it the R games as I have been quite intrigued by how this is happening. Here is what I am observing:
On booking J7 R4
2 days later J7 R0
4 days later J7 R6
Getting closer to u/g window J7 R6
Even closer to window J7 R0
Of course all using KVS. So members must be buying latitude fares, upgrading, cancelling. Not due to awards being given out as J7 has been constant.
Will see on u/g day what really happens.
Programs: AC E; UA 2P; SPG Gold; A3 Blue; AA Silver
Posts: 2,350
Quote:
Originally Posted by ac777
Of course all using KVS. So members must be buying latitude fares, upgrading, cancelling. Not due to awards being given out as J7 has been constant.
Will see on u/g day what really happens.
You are seeing AC's revenue management team at work.
Before the T+ upgrade window, they can use the R level to generate latitude fares. At T-7, they will likely lock up the R inventory (especially if J<9) to ensure that they can sell full-fare J to last minute purchasers...As the flight gets closer to departure, they may release R space based on historical selling patterns for the flight.
Think we're all seeing this dynamic at play. R can disappear in advance when a business traveler using a full Y ticket books and upgrades, but without change fee cancels or moves their flight. AC also tends to shut R down at the opening of the SE window, wait lists, then confirms SEs before the E window opens when there are more than two open seats in J.
I've been monitoring about a half dozen flights for travel next week and this seems to be the pattern unless J is wide open (though even on some flights with J9C9 R has been zero'd out. I get wait listed at 7-days, but overnight on the 4-day window, the upgrade clears. Have one of these approaching Saturday, had one clear last night. Same experience last week, and all requested/wait listed upgrades eventually cleared.
Timely thread. I have been watching a LAS-YUL. R8, J (and Z) 9 until T-7, then R0, but J thru Z unchanged. AC shows 10 seats - I know, no real indication but it ties in with J9.
I'll be going for the upgrade as an E nominee (using up 2011 eupgrades) - if it gets down to Aerolotto, hopefully my own SE status helps. (LAS do play Aerolotto, don't they - I seem to recall it was a station that could not do airport initiated upgrades?)
If J didn't change then I don't believe you're seeing people booking latitude, upgrading, then canceling. People who upgrade are taking up one of the seats -- whatever fantasies we have of the fare classes being independent there's only actually one set of seats. So I would expect J to drop, especially if 6 seats are suddenly taken up.
I've seen the same thing where R9 went to R0 at around the SE window -- actually just *after* in this case but perhaps that was a slip-up rather than intentional. They subsequently managed to sell almost all the seats or perhaps gave out some upgrades to SEs. By the time airport standby upgrades happened there were at most one or two.
Fwiw I suspect the international flights and the domestic flights are different teams with different strategies. The domestic flights often seem to have R0 even if there's plenty of space and the upgrades happen at the gate. The international flights seem to be updated once in the four day window to clear most upgrades in advance. But perhaps that was just a limited sample.
I have seen that for all the flights today LAX-YYZ. J9 C9 R0. The flight with the 763 is closer to J20 according to the seat map! Waitlisted of course. Strange behaviour.
I am looking at using upgrades ywg-yyc-lhr on Feb 15th. I won't be able to apply for the upgrade until 4 days before as I am using my dad's upgrade credits and he is E.
What do you think my chances are? I have been trying to check flight stats but I can't get any info for yyc-lhr. I chose this flight over yyz as the 330 from yyc has more J seats.
How does Aerolotto work? Since I am not E will I still be eligible to upgrade with his credits at the gate?
http://www.KVSTool.com/?R'>[KVS Availability Tool 6.9.2/Diamond - Sabre: Availability/FS/US]
YYC Calgary Intl AB CA [CYYC]
LHR London Heathrow UK [EGLL]
WED 15 Feb 2012
I understand that. My comment was more in line with why R0 when there are close to 20 J seats open on the aircraft.
That's not necessarily true either. You can have J9, with 20 spots open on the seat map, and only 15 seats being available. Not everyone who books selects a seat right away.
That's not necessarily true either. You can have J9, with 20 spots open on the seat map, and only 15 seats being available. Not everyone who books selects a seat right away.
Doesn't matter anyway. I was upgraded at check-in, didn't even have to play aerolotto at the gate.
I have seen that for all the flights today LAX-YYZ. J9 C9 R0. The flight with the 763 is closer to J20 according to the seat map! Waitlisted of course. Strange behaviour.
That flight often gets held back in J upgrading because it often is down gauged to an A321. That happened to me last week when I expected to board a 763 and settle into the pod I had selected just the day before and found myself in a window seat of an Airbus.
