ExpertFlyer questions / problems for AA queries (consolidated) now archival
May 10, 2006, 7:33 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Des Moines
Programs: AA Platinum, Marriott Gold
Posts: 186
ExpertFlyer questions / problems for AA queries (consolidated) now archival
MODERATOR NOTE: Please follow ExpertFlyer and ask questions pertinent to ExpertFlyer Availability Tool in the new Travel Tools Forum.
AA Moderator Team
N.B. An obsolete archived thread also exists here: Obsolete ExpertFlyer availability tool archival thread
We thank ExpertFlyerVoicefor providing support to this Forum.
Sorry if this has been posted already. A search didn't seem to indicate that it had:
You can get 20 free queries on expertflyer.com and a 10% discount on the monthly or annual subscription by becoming a member of v-flyer.com (free), then going to their expertflyer.com forum. At the top of that forum will be a link (if you are signed in) with a username and password for free access to expertflyer.com.
Now all I need to do is figure out how to use expertflyer.com! ^
AA Moderator Team
N.B. An obsolete archived thread also exists here: Obsolete ExpertFlyer availability tool archival thread
We thank ExpertFlyerVoicefor providing support to this Forum.
================================================== =============
Sorry if this has been posted already. A search didn't seem to indicate that it had:
You can get 20 free queries on expertflyer.com and a 10% discount on the monthly or annual subscription by becoming a member of v-flyer.com (free), then going to their expertflyer.com forum. At the top of that forum will be a link (if you are signed in) with a username and password for free access to expertflyer.com.
Now all I need to do is figure out how to use expertflyer.com! ^
Last edited by JDiver; Apr 1, 2012 at 11:21 pm
May 10, 2006, 10:06 am
#2
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYZ/MGA
Programs: AA 1MM Lifetime Gold, AA Platinum, WS Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 7,607
20 queries will last all of 1/2 a day as well.
May 10, 2006, 11:43 am
#3
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,296
Thanks!
I'm booking a trip to GRU right now... That should be enough for me!
I'm booking a trip to GRU right now... That should be enough for me!
May 11, 2006, 4:27 pm
#4
Join Date: Apr 2001
Posts: 3,083
Why I will probably join expertflyer later today...
I just got fo the phone with 2 AAgents about a 3 leg intl award for later this year.
The first AAgent was just plain rude and actually HUNG up on me because I changed the query slightly (do their supervisors get to see this?).
The second AAgent was nice, but you could tell it was going to take forever to through all the possilbe premutations of the trip.
Then I said to myself...why not save each us a lot of time and grief and on a related note why doesn't AA give the same ExpertFlyer information to us for free....it would save AA a lot of money.
The first AAgent was just plain rude and actually HUNG up on me because I changed the query slightly (do their supervisors get to see this?).
The second AAgent was nice, but you could tell it was going to take forever to through all the possilbe premutations of the trip.
Then I said to myself...why not save each us a lot of time and grief and on a related note why doesn't AA give the same ExpertFlyer information to us for free....it would save AA a lot of money.
May 11, 2006, 4:47 pm
#5
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Houston, TX
Programs: AA EXP (> 2.5 MM; *Wood Gld; HHonors Gld
Posts: 166
Well you made me very curious ... what was your question for the AA agents?
May 11, 2006, 4:53 pm
#6
Join Date: Apr 2001
Posts: 3,083
Originally Posted by DutchMember
Well you made me very curious ... what was your question for the AA agents?
It just seem like a waste of their time and mine to use THEIR fingers and eyes to do transactions for ME.
AA should give this info for free even if you still have to call to book it. Would save them a lot of money.
May 11, 2006, 4:59 pm
#7
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: AA PLT; UA Gold
Posts: 5,378
Originally Posted by AAaLot
It just seem like a waste of their time and mine to use THEIR fingers and eyes to do transactions for ME.
AA should give this info for free even if you still have to call to book it. Would save them a lot of money.
AA should give this info for free even if you still have to call to book it. Would save them a lot of money.
May 11, 2006, 5:06 pm
#8
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Bay Area (SJC/SFO)
Programs: AA 1MM, working my way back up to AS and Marriott elite status post-baby!
Posts: 1,389
Why I continue to subscribe to EF...
My husband is flying home DFW-SJC tonight and was waiting on an upgrade. The flight was showing F1 earlier this morning, but was back down to F0 at the four-hour window. I was sad that it looked like he wouldn't clear, since he's been sick most of the week and could really use the upgrade.
Lo and behold, at exactly 3 pm (for a 6:37 pm flight), I got a flight alert email from EF, indicating X was now available. I quickly resubmitted his upgrade request and was able to confirm his seat.
Without EF, I would have had no way of knowing if X inventory opened up at this "odd" time. Without EF's flight alert feature, I never would have realized that X inventory had become available -- I'm in training this week, so I'm getting email alerts, but I can't be glued to my web browser refreshing the flight availability screen every five minutes. Thanks to EF, my husband can fly home in some comfort.
The $100 for my annual premium subscription was money extremely well-spent.
My husband is flying home DFW-SJC tonight and was waiting on an upgrade. The flight was showing F1 earlier this morning, but was back down to F0 at the four-hour window. I was sad that it looked like he wouldn't clear, since he's been sick most of the week and could really use the upgrade.
Lo and behold, at exactly 3 pm (for a 6:37 pm flight), I got a flight alert email from EF, indicating X was now available. I quickly resubmitted his upgrade request and was able to confirm his seat.
Without EF, I would have had no way of knowing if X inventory opened up at this "odd" time. Without EF's flight alert feature, I never would have realized that X inventory had become available -- I'm in training this week, so I'm getting email alerts, but I can't be glued to my web browser refreshing the flight availability screen every five minutes. Thanks to EF, my husband can fly home in some comfort.
The $100 for my annual premium subscription was money extremely well-spent.
May 11, 2006, 5:26 pm
#9
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 1,697
I continue to believe that EF is worth its worth every penny ^
May 11, 2006, 5:27 pm
#10
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: New York
Programs: AA Plat, CO Gold
Posts: 1,598
Originally Posted by AAaLot
Then I said to myself...why not save each us a lot of time and grief and on a related note why doesn't AA give the same ExpertFlyer information to us for free....it would save AA a lot of money.
If you're looking for partner awards, EF won't give availability for most of them. TN and QF. Any others? You can get access to a bunch of the Oneworld airlines through the CX and QF web sites if you sign up for membership.
May 11, 2006, 6:02 pm
#11
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 7,900
Maybe I'm just very lucky, but the people at the Aawards desk are extremely friendly when I call and never rude.
May 11, 2006, 6:06 pm
#12
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 17,769
Did you guys get a survey in your email from EF recently? I did, and I gave it VERY high marks! ^
May 11, 2006, 6:32 pm
#13
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Houston, TX
Programs: AA EXP (> 2.5 MM; *Wood Gld; HHonors Gld
Posts: 166
If the AAgent hung up on you, it was certainly rude.
But as they say on FT : if you don't like the answer (or get disconnected), just call back and hope for a better AAgent.
BTW: Do you have access to the EXP desk? I have only had great experiences with the EXP AAgents. ^
But as they say on FT : if you don't like the answer (or get disconnected), just call back and hope for a better AAgent.
BTW: Do you have access to the EXP desk? I have only had great experiences with the EXP AAgents. ^
May 11, 2006, 6:47 pm
#14
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: SJC (AA PLT 2MM - Marriott LTT - Avis Preferred)
Posts: 2,028
acf573, generally yes you can check for award inventory on AA's site. However, inventory for upgrade seats in particular can't be viewed there, thus the subscription to EF, which checks these "hidden" codes.
May 11, 2006, 7:00 pm
#15
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PIT/DFW/MEL; AA Exec. Platinum & 4MM, QF WP
Posts: 7,689
Originally Posted by acf573
You can check award availability for any AA metal flight using AA.com. Check individual legs using one-way searches. Not the best interface (won't tell you exactly how many seats are available on each leg), but it is there.
and it doesn't even work if the segments are married. A-B and B-C can be available without A-C being available.