SkyTeam - Best search tool for SkyTeam award travel availability?
flywithkids512
Jan 14, 12, 8:18 am
Can anyone tell me the best tool(s) to use for locating award travel on SkyTeam partners, similar to using the CO, NH, and AC websites for *A awards. I know that I can search the individual member sites and make phone calls, but I am really asking if there are any sites in particular that seem to be the most inclusive and/or accessible. Thank you.
mtkeller
Jan 14, 12, 4:13 pm
The FlyingBlue engine on airfrance.us is the best thing we've got. Anything that's "classic" in coach or business should be bookable with any SkyTeam miles. Some major weaknesses:
No KE inventory (but it's not available anywhere)
Useless for DL awards to Asia from North America, as it seems to insist on routing via Europe, which DL forbids in most if not all circumstances
Isn't always spectacular at finding seats on DL flights to international gateways
Thanks for this, but I should add to weaknesses that they clearly don't have SU inventory as well. Unfortunately for me...
mtkeller
Feb 1, 12, 9:07 am
Thanks for this, but I should add to weaknesses that they clearly don't have SU inventory as well. Unfortunately for me...
SU inventory is available in ExpertFlyer. Also for free from Wandering Aramean (http://www.wandr.me/Reward_Search/default.aspx). He also has VN, RO, OK, and CZ.
mtkeller
Feb 3, 12, 4:01 am
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! KE is now publishing their award inventory (from 1 March 2012) into a GDS, and so ExpertFlyer and KVS can show the business award inventory bucket (O). Note that it does return O>0 for some dates that DL blacks out, so if using DL miles, you'll still want to check the blackout dates DL imposes (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/17293149-post2.html). Hopefully this doesn't dry up all the KE award inventory. Some on the DL forum have reported calling to check dates that EF shows inventory on, and DL agents can see it, so it looks like this is the inventory that is available to partners and not just SkyPass members. Now if only DL would readily allow routing US-Asia via Europe, we could have some great options, as AF/KL tend to have good inventory to Europe, and KE's Europe-Asia inventory looks stellar. I'm seeing O5 on LHR-ICN and O9 on FRA-ICN on the A380.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! KE is now publishing their award inventory (from 1 March 2012) into a GDS, and so ExpertFlyer and KVS can show the business award inventory bucket (O).
The O bucket is also freely searchable here (http://www.wandr.me/Tools/Single_Bucket_Inventory.aspx) and you can even set alerts on it so it will email you if a particular flight opens up. I'll add it to the explicit reward search list as well. Z inventory (biz upgrades) are also visible, as is A inventory (F awards, useful for KE members but not partners). Anyone know what the coach award bucket is?
mtkeller
Feb 4, 12, 1:52 am
The O bucket is also freely searchable here (http://www.wandr.me/Tools/Single_Bucket_Inventory.aspx) and you can even set alerts on it so it will email you if a particular flight opens up. I'll add it to the explicit reward search list as well. Z inventory (biz upgrades) are also visible, as is A inventory (F awards, useful for KE members but not partners). Anyone know what the coach award bucket is?
Cool. This thread at MP (http://milepoint.com/forums/threads/a-great-news-of-using-delta-miles.25994/) says coach award is X like AF/KL.
Cool. This thread at MP (http://milepoint.com/forums/threads/a-great-news-of-using-delta-miles.25994/) says coach award is X like AF/KL.
Nice. I'll see about adding that in, too.
I did create dedicated pages for upgrade (http://www.wandr.me/Award-Search.aspx/Korean-Air-Upgrade-Availability) and award (http://www.wandr.me/Award-Search.aspx/Korean-Air-Award-Availability) searches for Korean so that's there, too. Unfortunately, looks like X inventory isn't published in the GDS that I can query. :(
dieuwer2
Sep 14, 12, 7:40 am
The O bucket is also freely searchable here (http://www.wandr.me/Tools/Single_Bucket_Inventory.aspx) and you can even set alerts on it so it will email you if a particular flight opens up. I'll add it to the explicit reward search list as well. Z inventory (biz upgrades) are also visible, as is A inventory (F awards, useful for KE members but not partners). Anyone know what the coach award bucket is?
Can you set up an alert for AF as well?
mtkeller
Sep 14, 12, 8:50 pm
Can you set up an alert for AF as well?
AF is not a carrier whose award inventory is supported by the Wandering Aramean tools.