KVS Tool now searches CX awards!

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Jun 20, 2010, 7:19 am

#46

ktravelbear

Join Date: Apr 2010

Location: Michigan

Programs: AA, BA, SPG, FFFWP

Posts: 171

Interpretation needed

I just started using this app and I am confused. Sometimes I get the box that says there are no flights available ( searching for an award), and then I get the flights listed with only FS listed as availability-no # of seats. What does this mean?

Jun 20, 2010, 12:29 pm

#47

KVS

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Jan 2004

Location: Worldwide

Posts: 12,949

Quote:

Originally Posted by ktravelbear

Please see http://Help.KVSTool.com/#Methods

Jul 13, 2010, 9:39 pm

#48

percysmith

Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau

Join Date: May 2009

Location: HKG

Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member

Posts: 19,800

I came up with a moderately evil way to call up MPC call centre and check upgrades - key in my other boss's SL number to talk to an agent faster. I don't need to key in his PIN.

If available, I'll hang up and use my own number to book after hours. But I'm really on watchful waiting mode on those Sydney October J upgrade seats.

Jul 29, 2010, 3:15 pm

#49

plusorminus

Join Date: Dec 2009

Location: Chicago

Programs: CX DM, SPG Gold

Posts: 48

Sorry - I'm still unclear on whether KVS supports CX upgrade award availability or if it's just award availability. I read this entire thread and it seems like the answer is no? Can someone confirm?

Jul 29, 2010, 5:48 pm

#50

KVS

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Jan 2004

Location: Worldwide

Posts: 12,949

Quote:

Originally Posted by plusorminus

Sorry - I'm still unclear on whether KVS supports CX upgrade award availability or if it's just award availability. I read this entire thread and it seems like the answer is no? Can someone confirm?

KVS Tool currently supports CX award availability only:
http://Help.KVSTool.com/#Classes

CX upgrade availability used to be supported in the past.

Jul 30, 2010, 3:25 am

#51

Cheetah_SA

Join Date: Mar 2004

Location: CPT

Programs: BA BD SA

Posts: 4,467

CX awards using BA miles

Juat another data point from a different perspective. Trying to book PEK/HKG using BA miles the Awards/OneWorld method only shows availability on CX 347 in Y. Using Awards/CX I can, in addition, see availability in Y on all 8 KA flights and in C & F on most of them.

However, on ba.com only the availability for KA937 and KA905 is shown. This is true for every date I have checked including some far out and some near dates. Calling BAEC confirmed that the agents can only see what I can see on ba.com. So I deduce 3 things:

Either BA or CX restricts the CX award availability to BA - yet another case where availability varies (in this case hugely) by who is issuing the ticket.
As a result neither KVS method is helpful for CX/KA awards when using BA miles. Use ba.com instead.
Using BA miles on the PEK/HKG route you are limited to the KA 07:45 and 08:00 departures even though there is lots of CX availability on flights throughout the day.

This is probably not of great interest to most in this forum but since this thread is linked on the KVS web site I thought I would post my experience here for the benefit of other BAEC members who are using KVS to look for CX awards.

Last edited by Cheetah_SA; Jul 30, 2010 at 3:31 am

Jul 30, 2010, 5:42 am

#52

ma91pmh

Join Date: Aug 2009

Location: RDU

Programs: A few

Posts: 5,499

Try calling them (BA) and ask them to check with CX ticketing. OneWorld have explicitly said that their airlines do not block so if a standard seat is available on one airline any other carrier can book it. I have had issues where kvs tool/cx website shows availability that AA agent could not see. I politely asked them to check it with CX and they always came back positive

Jul 31, 2010, 3:48 am

#53

Cheetah_SA

Join Date: Mar 2004

Location: CPT

Programs: BA BD SA

Posts: 4,467

Thanks for the advice, ma91pmh. I will try it (though I have little faith that my local BAEC office will even consent to take the trouble).

Jul 31, 2010, 8:02 am

#54

gleff

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Apr 2001

Location: DCA

Programs: AMC MovieWatcher, Giant BonusCard, Petco PALS Card, Silver Diner Blue Plate Club

Posts: 22,297

I have a good bit of experience booking CX awards with BA miles, because BA is a US American Express Membership Rewards transfer partner.

The BA website is hugely limiting. The systems that the BA call centers use are also hugely limiting.

* Frequently seats will be available to BA, those seats won't be immediately apparent when talking to an Executive Club agent on the phone. Sometimes you just need an agent who knows how to goose their system, or patience for them to work with a supervisor. Most of the time the agents don't believe that their systems are limited...

* Many times there's CX availability but the website won't show it when there's too much BA availability on the same route (albeit going the wrong direction and at much higher mileage pricing)

* Sometimes even a good agent won't see the availability that CX is offering, and it's true that BA cannot book it, it's usually some sort of IT synching or delay issue and I check a day later and the CX seats now show up for BA agents both by phone and someties even online.

* The 'oneworld' method (QF website) seems to show phantom availability at times, I find the CX method much more reliable for CX flights.

Aug 28, 2010, 8:26 pm

#55

Pickles

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Jul 2001

Location: Boston, Jo'burg, HK

Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Lifetime Diamond, CX Gold, Mrs. Pickles travels for free

Posts: 13,161

Well, one more thumbs up testimonial for the KVS tool. Was trying to get a miles/upgrade ticket from HKG-PIT. Used the tool to find out that there was sporadic availability in F and J for LAX and SFO, but JFK is locked up tight until a few days before departure. Playing around with the scheduling part of the tool, realize that CX also flies to YYZ (I knew that but it didn't "register"). Bingo! Good availability via YYZ. Called AA, booked the ticket, agent was very surprised when I told her exactly what to look for and there was availability on the first try! Didn't tell her I knew already.

Sep 6, 2010, 6:14 pm

#56

rmc1

Join Date: Apr 2001

Location: Central New Jersey

Programs: AA Lifetime Plat 2MM

Posts: 691

I'm having issues with Award Availability and AA Exec Plat desk not being able to book what the tool shows as being available.

The first problem is with HKG-JFK on 09 Feb 2011. Here is what I see using both methods (I removed the flights I don't care about):

[KVS Availability Tool 5.7.4/Platinum - Amadeus: Awards/OneWorld/AU-QFA-SP1]

Code:

HKG  Hong Kong Int'l HK [VHHH]
JFK  New York John F Kennedy Int'l NY US [KJFK]
WED  09 Feb 2011 | 2 Seats

Carrier    Flight  From  Depart    To    Arrive    A/C      Availability
---------  ------  ----  --------  ----  --------  ---  --  ------------
CX         888     HKG   01:00     JFK   06:10     773      FS+  CS-

And here is using Amadeus/CX:
[KVS Availability Tool 5.7.4/Platinum - Amadeus: Awards/CX]

Code:

HKG  Hong Kong Int'l HK [VHHH]
JFK  New York John F Kennedy Int'l NY US [KJFK]
WED  09 Feb 2011 | 2 Seats

Carrier    Flight  From  Depart    To    Arrive    A/C  St  Availability
---------  ------  ----  --------  ----  --------  ---  --  ------------
CX         888     HKG   01:00     JFK   06:10     773  1   FS+ CS-

Yet the AA Exec Plat desk says that they cannot book First on this flight.

Similar experience for HKG-HKT on 25 Jan 2011. Trying to book coach and AA says no seats but here is tool:

[KVS Availability Tool 5.7.4/Platinum - Amadeus: Awards/CX]

Code:

HKG  Hong Kong Int'l HK [VHHH]
HKT  Phuket Int'l TH [VTSP]
TUE  25 Jan 2011 | 2 Seats

Carrier    Flight  From  Depart    To    Arrive    A/C  St  Availability
---------  ------  ----  --------  ----  --------  ---  --  ---------------
KA         212     HKG   08:55     HKT   11:35     320  0   FS/ CS- YS+ YA+

However, using the Amadeus/Awards/OneWorld it shows:

[KVS Availability Tool 5.7.4/Platinum - Amadeus: Awards/OneWorld/AU-QFA-SP1]

Code:

HKG  Hong Kong Int'l HK [VHHH]
HKT  Phuket Int'l TH [VTSP]
TUE  25 Jan 2011 | 2 Seats

Carrier    Flight  From  Depart    To    Arrive    A/C      Availability
---------  ------  ----  --------  ----  --------  ---  --  ---------------------
                                                            No Award Availability

Any idea why the discrepancy on these 2 flights? I called AA 2 times today just in case it was user error and both reps told me the same thing.

Sep 6, 2010, 6:36 pm

#57

KVS

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Jan 2004

Location: Worldwide

Posts: 12,949

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmc1

The agent needs to specify the departure time (01:00 am) or request availability for the previous day (08 Feb), otherwise they will, likely, not even see the flight in their system.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmc1

Similar experience for HKG-HKT on 25 Jan 2011. Trying to book coach and AA says no seats but here is tool:

However, using the Amadeus/Awards/OneWorld it shows:

KA award availability is only supported via the [Awards-Upgrades/CX] Method: http://Help.KVSTool.com/#Classes

Also, are you sure that KA flights are eligible for the AADV award type you are trying to book?

Sep 7, 2010, 6:31 am

#58

rmc1

Join Date: Apr 2001

Location: Central New Jersey

Programs: AA Lifetime Plat 2MM

Posts: 691

Quote:

Originally Posted by KVS

The agent needs to specify the departure time (01:00 am) or request availability for the previous day (08 Feb), otherwise they will, likely, not even see the flight in their system.

Actually, I am on the flight as they were able to get me 2 seats in Business Class but they said First was not available. However, I just called AA again and they said they showed the First seats so I now have them

Quote:

Originally Posted by KVS

As for the DragonAir flights, yes, AA does have access as I have a different itinerary on hold and on that one I have flight #212 on 11 Feb in coach on hold. I just did confirm that they still don't see any award seats on 25 Jan though so no idea about that one.

Sep 8, 2010, 7:10 am

#59

rmc1

Join Date: Apr 2001

Location: Central New Jersey

Programs: AA Lifetime Plat 2MM

Posts: 691

AA Exec Plat desk is still saying that there are no coach tickets available for this flight. Looks like I will have to buy tickets but on Thai AsiaAirways as they are $350 and CX/KA is $750.

[KVS Availability Tool 5.7.4/Platinum - Amadeus: Awards/CX]

Code:

HKG  Hong Kong Int'l HK [VHHH]
HKT  Phuket Int'l TH [VTSP]
TUE  25 Jan 2011 | 2 Seats

Carrier    Flight  From  Depart    To    Arrive    A/C  St  Availability
---------  ------  ----  --------  ----  --------  ---  --  ---------------
KA         212     HKG   08:55     HKT   11:35     320  0   FS/ CS- YS+ YA+

Sep 8, 2010, 11:37 am

#60

ma91pmh

Join Date: Aug 2009

Location: RDU

Programs: A few

Posts: 5,499

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmc1

Code:

HKG  Hong Kong Int'l HK [VHHH]
HKT  Phuket Int'l TH [VTSP]
TUE  25 Jan 2011 | 2 Seats

Carrier    Flight  From  Depart    To    Arrive    A/C  St  Availability
---------  ------  ----  --------  ----  --------  ---  --  ---------------
KA         212     HKG   08:55     HKT   11:35     320  0   FS/ CS- YS+ YA+

Have you asked them to check with CX ticketing? I had a situation where KVS was showing FS+ on two seats, AAEXP could only see one, I politely asked them to check with CX. They were insisting that CS keep seats for their own fliers, I said I truly believe that is not the case. They made the call and came back and said all good

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