Feb 14, 2015, 12:53 pm
Last edit by: 747FC
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This is a community-maintained wiki, it is not necessarily endorsed by ExpertFlyer.
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Searches currently not working:
To search AA upgrades:
This is a community-maintained wiki, it is not necessarily endorsed by ExpertFlyer.
--------------------
Searches currently not working:
- Upgrades - AY, BA, EK, EY, IB, QR, VS
- Awards - AY, BA, IB, EY, QR, VS
To search AA upgrades:
- Use the Award & Upgrade tool
- Only search for individual segments (set the "Connection Preference" drop-down to "Direct/Non-Stop only"). Flight results that are part of a connection won't show the upgrade version of C or A inventory because AA only files upgrade inventory as individual, not married, segments. (Married segments show revenue inventory instead of upgrade inventory.)
- To avoid confusion, check the "Exclude Codeshares" box, as AA awards and upgrades are not valid on codeshares.
ExpertFlyer.com Help Desk Thread
Apr 6, 2012, 10:56 am
#16
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Indianapolis
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Gold, HH Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 383
Yes!
You can sign up for an annual or a monthly subscription. There is a section for alerts that allows you to specify a specific flight and requirement (for example, R and RN) for the upgrades. Pretty easy to use and minimal learning curve.
You can sign up for an annual or a monthly subscription. There is a section for alerts that allows you to specify a specific flight and requirement (for example, R and RN) for the upgrades. Pretty easy to use and minimal learning curve.
Apr 6, 2012, 10:58 am
#17
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 226
THanks. I gather the free version won't do what i want? I'm currently flying about 8 times a year - enough for at least silver, hoping to stay gold.
Apr 6, 2012, 11:01 am
#18
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: YWG
Programs: Free Agent
Posts: 1,478
Totally worth the subscription if you suffer from upgrade waitlist anxiety- or even to preplan to avoid the waitlist! I am an elementary level user but have found the alert system easy to set up. I am also starting to use the fare tool to pull fares on obscure routes that the airline search function can't (or won't) find; means a call to the TA, but has also saved me big $$ to JNB and DXB on *A.
Apr 6, 2012, 11:03 am
#19
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Hyatt GLOB, Marriott Lifetime PLT, UA 1K 1MM.
Posts: 1,728
honest question, not rhetorical. i'm planning on flying on some US-asia tickets later and hoping to use SWU's so i'm trying to figure this all out too.
Apr 6, 2012, 11:13 am
#20
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: LAT/LONG
Programs: UA 1k; Hyatt Plat; SPG Gold; Avis PC Preferred; Priority Pass Select; AMEX Platinum
Posts: 442
if that's the policy then what's the purpose of setting up an EF alert? it would seem to me that it should go automatically in order then, no? not sure what calling in would get me in that case.
honest question, not rhetorical. i'm planning on flying on some US-asia tickets later and hoping to use SWU's so i'm trying to figure this all out too.
honest question, not rhetorical. i'm planning on flying on some US-asia tickets later and hoping to use SWU's so i'm trying to figure this all out too.
As other have said, pays to be proactive
Apr 6, 2012, 11:14 am
#21
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: SAN
Programs: UA MM Gold
Posts: 1,193
That's the point of the value of the alert. Although it should go in order, due to the hiccups of the current IT sys sometimes calling in one can get someone to manually force the UG when RN > 0.
Apr 6, 2012, 11:16 am
#22
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Hyatt GLOB, Marriott Lifetime PLT, UA 1K 1MM.
Posts: 1,728
gotcha. so hypothetically in the perfectly working world where the IT systems are working properly and according to UA policy (could be years, but just trying to understand), in that world once i go online and apply a GPU to my itin, calling in shouldn't have any effect and theoretically the upgrades would just clear automatically according to whatever order the system puts us in, right? i'm guessing in that situation the EF alerts wouldn't do me much good?
Apr 6, 2012, 11:22 am
#23
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Berkeley, CA USA
Programs: Piggly Wiggly "Shop the Pig!" Preferred Shopper
Posts: 57,075
As it happens, I just got emails today for flight alerts I set up on EF. I booked a one-way in business class, LHR-SFO in November. I scooped up that award within hours after United released it. I could have been checking united.com day after day, but I'd rather not do that.
ExpertFlyer is possibly the best value I get for $100/year when it comes to travel. The whole point of my mileage acquisition is to get very scare premium cabin awards. EF gives me my best shot of getting those.
ETA the email I got from EF today (you can tell I'm not too concerned about privacy):
Dear Andrew Dhuey,
This is a notification that your Flight Alert "BEY return LHR F" has located at least 1 availability opening(s) at this time.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For: UA931/First/Business - Saver Award and Alliance Upgrades (I)
From: LHR to SFO
Date: 11/13/12 1:35 PM
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please log in (http://www.expertflyer.com) to view further information regarding this flight.
Thank you,
The ExpertFlyer.com Team
ExpertFlyer is possibly the best value I get for $100/year when it comes to travel. The whole point of my mileage acquisition is to get very scare premium cabin awards. EF gives me my best shot of getting those.
ETA the email I got from EF today (you can tell I'm not too concerned about privacy):
Dear Andrew Dhuey,
This is a notification that your Flight Alert "BEY return LHR F" has located at least 1 availability opening(s) at this time.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For: UA931/First/Business - Saver Award and Alliance Upgrades (I)
From: LHR to SFO
Date: 11/13/12 1:35 PM
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please log in (http://www.expertflyer.com) to view further information regarding this flight.
Thank you,
The ExpertFlyer.com Team
Apr 6, 2012, 11:44 am
#24
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: AA ExPlat; UA GS (via MM companion); SPG
Posts: 362
if that's the policy then what's the purpose of setting up an EF alert? it would seem to me that it should go automatically in order then, no? not sure what calling in would get me in that case.
honest question, not rhetorical. i'm planning on flying on some US-asia tickets later and hoping to use SWU's so i'm trying to figure this all out too.
honest question, not rhetorical. i'm planning on flying on some US-asia tickets later and hoping to use SWU's so i'm trying to figure this all out too.
Outside it, perhaps the system never sets R/RN > 0 if there are folks with instruments on the waitlist until it has handed out the upgrades to those people.
Let's say that is true. (At least in a theoretical working system.) You still might want the alert in case, say, an alternate route opens up with confirmable-at-call-in-time upgrade space. Or if you are in a situation (like I was) where you are not allowed to waitlist, but have to have RN > 0 to upgrade (in my case, upgrading an award seat).
And there are other types of alerts, of course, beyond upgrade space.
Apr 7, 2012, 2:27 pm
#26
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
Apr 17, 2012, 7:19 pm
#27
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Jersey
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Lifetime PLT
Posts: 1,154
So i signed up to expert flyer and im trying to get an alert for when a saver award in first opens up on flight 120 from EWR>BCN
I'm given the options:
Am i in the right place? Thanks.
I'm given the options:
Options
Treat Premium Only seats as available
Treat Paid seats as available
Treat Blocked seats as available
Seats to look for
Any Seat
Any Aisle Seat
Any Window Seat
Any Exit Row Seat
Any 2 Seats Together
Select Specific Seats
Treat Premium Only seats as available
Treat Paid seats as available
Treat Blocked seats as available
Seats to look for
Any Seat
Any Aisle Seat
Any Window Seat
Any Exit Row Seat
Any 2 Seats Together
Select Specific Seats
Apr 17, 2012, 10:22 pm
#28
Left Expert Flyer 4/23
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,741
May 4, 2012, 6:01 pm
#29
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 994
possible to search partner airlines with expertflyer?
Is it possible to search partner airtlines with expertflyer.com? I subscribed for 5 day trial and while it does excellent job of displaying UA or AA awards, it doesn't include their partners. Any other program/site do that?
May 5, 2012, 12:46 am
#30
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Home
Programs: AA, Delta, UA & thanks to FTers for my PC Gold!
Posts: 7,676
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