Travel Tools - How accurate is KVS tool and Expertflyer on CX?

Dear All,

I've just been introduced to Experflyer and I think its a fabulous tool for frequent travelers. Unfortunately, it does not include award booking availability maps for CX. I've heard that KVStool does?

My question is how accurate are they? The seat maps are certainly spot-on when compared to the manage-my-booking ones on CX. Updates are instant. But how about for people who have not had seat assignments / checked in yet?

If, for example, Y is nearly completely sold - should the no. of tickets available on Y, K, M, V, O, S be near 0? or do they account for the possible availability of op-ups and keep it at 9?

The reason why I ask is there seems to be some discrepancies between what I see on the seat maps and the actual situation. Flights are often more full then they look.

Dear All,

I've just been introduced to Experflyer and I think its a fabulous tool for frequent travelers. Unfortunately, it does not include award booking availability maps for CX. I've heard that KVStool does?

My question is how accurate are they? The seat maps are certainly spot-on when compared to the manage-my-booking ones on CX. Updates are instant. But how about for people who have not had seat assignments / checked in yet?

If, for example, Y is nearly completely sold - should the no. of tickets available on Y, K, M, V, O, S be near 0? or do they account for the possible availability of op-ups and keep it at 9?

The reason why I ask is there seems to be some discrepancies between what I see on the seat maps and the actual situation. Flights are often more full then they look.

1. "Award availablity" and "seat maps" are 2 separate things. CX (and other airlines that I know) do not allocate specific physical seats and mark them award-only.
2. If Y is nearly completely sold, whether CX wants to sell more seats and accomondate by doing op-ups is CX's corporate decision. The tools only reflect the availability CX provides.
3. For KVS Tool, the "Amadeus - Enhanced" function would distinguish between blocked and occupied seats, whereas the "Amadeus - Text" function displays both occupied and blocked seats as unavaliable.
4. Many people do not assign seats when they book, so of course more people would be on the FLT then the amount of advanced seat reservation.

Dear All,

I've just been introduced to Experflyer and I think its a fabulous tool for frequent travelers. Unfortunately, it does not include award booking availability maps for CX. I've heard that KVStool does?

My question is how accurate are they? The seat maps are certainly spot-on when compared to the manage-my-booking ones on CX. Updates are instant. But how about for people who have not had seat assignments / checked in yet?

If, for example, Y is nearly completely sold - should the no. of tickets available on Y, K, M, V, O, S be near 0? or do they account for the possible availability of op-ups and keep it at 9?

The reason why I ask is there seems to be some discrepancies between what I see on the seat maps and the actual situation. Flights are often more full then they look.

Generally speaking seat maps are not a valid indicator of availability of tickets, award or otherwise. For CX seat maps, as noted here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/cathay-pacific-asia-miles/1323007-asr-180-days-out-now-possible.html#post18175322 ExpertFlyer provides a complete and accurate CX Seat Map.

For CX award availability, the go to source is the award search on the JL website. That information is available for free, either by using JAL.com yourself or via AwardNexus.com which has a Free version for FT members.

As a previous KVS user, the database checks were quite accurate.

I had no issues booking a 10 segment reward ticket using Star Alliance Reward Availability.

There have been some anecdotal reports of the reservations desk using an older system that doesn't see the same inventory that KVS sees, however that problem would be with the reservation desk (Aeroplan), not with KVS. In other words, accurate.

Good luck.

I am a heavy expertflyer user on a multitude of airlines (both looking at rev buckets to upgrade as well as premium award tickets) and some airlines they have access to upgrade cabins and awards avail and others (like CX) they don't have access.

With CX, I find the loads in the premium cabins (which I follow with CX) are pretty darn accurate.

I've just been introduced to Experflyer and I think its a fabulous tool for frequent travelers. Unfortunately, it does not include award booking availability maps for CX. I've heard that KVStool does?
That is correct -- the KVS Tool supports Award Availability across the entire OneWorld network, including CX -- please see http://Help.KVSTool.com/#Classes for details.

I've just been introduced to Experflyer and I think its a fabulous tool for frequent travelers. Unfortunately, it does not include award booking availability maps for CX.


For CX award availability, the go to source is the award search on the JL website. That information is available for free, either by using JAL.com yourself or via AwardNexus.com which has a Free version for FT members.

+1 for AwardNexus. Free CX data available for free without a tool to download.

I find that when using Expertflyer, choosing UK POS can get a better accuracy in CX stock

How accurate is the online booking regarding remaining seats? Did a dummy booking for economy and site says "Only a few seats left. Book now!" for both directions. Went to Seat selection and counted over 38 seats available for Departure and Return. No sure if 38 seats or more available is CX's term for "Only a few seats left. Book now!" Am I missing something? LOL

How accurate is the online booking regarding remaining seats? Did a dummy booking for economy and site says "Only a few seats left. Book now!" for both directions. Went to Seat selection and counted over 38 seats available for Departure and Return. No sure if 38 seats or more available is CX's term for "Only a few seats left. Book now!" Am I missing something? LOL

This has been a problem since CX migrates to the new reservation system. Seat map does not give an accurate indication of seats left, though, as many people having confirmed reservation does not have seat assignment.

How accurate is the online booking regarding remaining seats? Did a dummy booking for economy and site says "Only a few seats left. Book now!" for both directions. Went to Seat selection and counted over 38 seats available for Departure and Return. No sure if 38 seats or more available is CX's term for "Only a few seats left. Book now!" Am I missing something? LOL

You appear to be confusing Availability and Seat Maps:

http://Help.KVSTool.com/#Q2
http://Help.KVSTool.com/#Q3

The seat map shows the available seats for selection as where you want to park your rear. What's so confusing about it that you are taking me for.. ??? with simple different terms of seats available and no seats available for pre-assignment.

Unless you have a better interpretation similar to CX. Which is --having more than 38 seats choice in the SEAT MAP is same as "Only a few seats left. Book now!" for AVAILABILITY. What a joke. To me this is a sales gimmick to get pax buy the ticket early on to fill the seats.


You appear to be confusing Availability and Seat Maps:

http://Help.KVSTool.com/#Q2
http://Help.KVSTool.com/#Q3

The seat map shows the available seats for selection as where you want to park your rear. What's so confusing about it that you are taking me for.. ???

Unless you have a better interpretation similar to CX. Which is --having more than 38 seats choice in the SEAT MAP is same as "Only a few seats left. Book now!" for AVAILABILITY. What a joke.

"Only a few seats left" refers to Availability, not Seat Maps.

It is perfectly normal to have 38 (or even 138) unassigned seats on the Seat Map and, say, only 5 seats Available for sale (which would trigger that message).

"Only a few seats left" refers to Availability, not Seat Maps.

It is perfectly normal to have 38 (or even 138) unassigned seats on the Seat Map and, say, only 5 seats Available for sale (which would trigger that message).

Now you are talking. Is is also legally correct for that particular price range but morally questionable. Since, when looking forward many months ahead I see the same message with almost identical pattern blocks of "available seats" for selection within in this case, CX's website. So sorry for the unsuspecting customer to purchase right away thinking that "Only a few seats left" and then the price drops or when more seats are released by the airline at a more attrative rate.

This has nothing to do with Asia Miles or CX flights per se... so is moved.

Guy Betsy
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles forum co-mod

For CX award availability, use asiamiles or BA's (when no ba flight, it switch to parters' automatically).
but they can't distinguish saver award and standard award, for example, using aa miles

For CX award availability, use asiamiles or BA's (when no ba flight, it switch to parters' automatically).
but they can't distinguish saver award and standard award, for example, using aa miles

JL's website also has it.

KVS collects info from those sites and puts it into a nice format for you to use.

I bought both KVS and EF but it has been quite some time since I have really been using them save cursory searches.

A couple of questions:

1. Regarding Expertflyer, I just noticed that there is a discrepancy regarding cx411 on 1-May, ICN-HKG. For flight availability it says plane type is 774 with F9 and A9 but the seat map shows a 773 without F class. Could it be that CX has changed equipment? Even so, how come this is reflected on Expertflyer's Seat Map but not on Flight Availability?

2. Regarding KVS, I have a stupid question - how does one search cx availability? I can search award but not general availability or seatmaps on cx!

Thanks.

1. Regarding Expertflyer, I just noticed that there is a discrepancy regarding cx411 on 1-May, ICN-HKG. For flight availability it says plane type is 774 with F9 and A9 but the seat map shows a 773 without F class. Could it be that CX has changed equipment? Even so, how come this is reflected on Expertflyer's Seat Map but not on Flight Availability?

It could be an equipment change, the Seat Map equipment code comes from the airline with the seat map but the Flight Availability equipment code is from the original schedule that would have to be updated by the airline.

You can have F & A class codes on a flight without a First class cabin, they would just book into Business. Airlines do this because the first class fare codes could be needed for a F ticket connecting to other flight segments that do have a First cabin.

2. Regarding KVS, I have a stupid question - how does one search cx availability? I can search award but not general availability or seatmaps on cx!
Regular Availability for all airlines (incl. CX) is accessible via the main [Availability] Tab in the KVS Tool.

To access Seat Maps, just double-click the desired flight.