I use EF... and have for a few years. I do find it helpful. So do not take this as a negative post. I'm simply trying to get the FT boards take on the following:
In the beginning Ef gave us access to our PNR. That access was lost and EF claimed (for many months) that they were negotiating to regain access to that info. (I have not asked EF in quite some time... the status of those negotiations)
Then EF lost access to viewing X inventory at the 100 hour mark. Again EF claimed (for many months) that they were negotiating to regain access to that info.
I felt these loses to be large and was hopeful (for a long time) that EF would be able to again give us access to that information. But I guess these are lost for good.
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EF also used to display detailed data from Sabre under "Flight Status," so we could see what FW/HQ Dispatch had written as the reason for delays, etc.
And it went away because of "security concerns."
I agree that EF is not as good as it once was, and is WORSE with this latest round of "enhancements" that completely separate the award/upgrade from availability tools. But, what else are you gonna do? Where else can you find hidden classes and fare info in one place?
It certainly isn't that EF has devalued their product, it's that AA has reduced information available via their GDS due to a number of "concerns." I still find it useful, however, and I believe I can fairly safely vouch that they are still exploring alternatives.
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As a recent subscriber, I've felt it's been worth the investment to have access to C, R, and X inventory. The saved queries and flight alerts are other valuable features.
I would, however, like to see some more improvements to the new Award/Upgrade listings, which don't consistently list every requested fare code for each flight...in fact, it seems to be completely inconsistent.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dstan
As a recent subscriber, I've felt it's been worth the investment to have access to C, R, and X inventory. The saved queries and flight alerts are other valuable features.
I would, however, like to see some more improvements to the new Award/Upgrade listings, which don't consistently list every requested fare code for each flight...in fact, it seems to be completely inconsistent.
Agree on both fronts. The flight alerts are worth every penny to me and have helped me secure at least 3 upgrades (via Aairpass) a month for the last 6 months I have been a member.
However, the inconsistencies you mention in the upgrades/awards listings can be very annoying. To the untrained eye, these seem to stem from how EF queries Saber and not from the data AA provides, but I could be wrong about that.
At least EF tried to create value with their new awards/upgrades query. So I applaud 'em for trying. However I think it falls short because it does not actually locate the actual flights. I'm back to using AA.com to search for availability.
It would be really nice if EF could give you the same info as the AAgent have, i.e. from point A (in the USA) to point B (in Europe), does even one flight over that big ocean have at least 2 upgrade seats available?
I hate the interface and loathe the fact they don't use a RESTful interface versus their current one where back button doesn't work well. That said, it's the only thing I can use on Blackberry when I'm rushing into an airport after misconnecting, so that's invaluable.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SquareDanceGuy
It would be really nice if EF could give you the same info as the AAgent have, i.e. from point A (in the USA) to point B (in Europe), does even one flight over that big ocean have at least 2 upgrade seats available?
Maybe I don't understand your specific request but you can determine this using EF (i.e., BOS-LHR 9/9/8, returning 9/16/8, were C2 and C4 respectively - less now b/c I grabbed some of the seats).
As for the PNR display, AA blocked that a long time ago. They felt that providing public access to the PNR was a security risk, or that the PNR could contain proprietary information that they did not want customers to see.
However, usually your travel agent can pull up the PNR unless AA has secured it to their own pseudo city codes. This usually only works for PNRs booked directly with AA or your travel agent. You cannot generally view bookings made via an online travel agency, since those would be secured to that agency.
I wouldn't expect either of these features to come back.
I am with you. This latest round of enhancments to the availability tool are poor. why not have both the ability to use an award availability tool OR if you know the code, enter it from regular availability
Quote:
Originally Posted by ESpen36
I agree that EF is not as good as it once was, and is WORSE with this latest round of "enhancements" that completely separate the award/upgrade from availability tools. But, what else are you gonna do? Where else can you find hidden classes and fare info in one place?
