Originally Posted by
eggsbenedict
Is there a way to determine whether an award is "saver space"?
I scrubbed through the monthly calendars for NRT-SEA-YVR and there is a bit of availability from mid-Sept to mid-Oct. Literally zero results in any class Feb 2023-Jan 2024 outside of that window in Sep/Oct.
To give a concrete example, there is an award available Oct 1 NRT-SEA-YVR. The AS flight is 2075. If I search just SEA-YVR, 2075 on Oct 1 comes up with a cost of 10k points. Scrubbing through the calendars there are 10k options SEA-YVR available the vast majority of days throughout 2023. Anything special about the award on AS2075 on Oct 1 that would make it bookable versus the hundreds of other SEA-YVR flights in 2023 that are priced the same?
I know award availability can be spotty, but the fact that there are literally zero options available NRT-YVR (rather than the spotty but consistent availability available to all other AS served cities) aside from the direct flight (and some connecting flights during a single 5 week window) makes it look like there is a deliberate policy (or a bug) involving JL awards to YVR that maybe someone knows about.
You need E or T class space available; you can check on ExpertFlyer if you have a subscription. I took a quick look, and there isn't much saver award availability in early January, and when there is E or T space, it is mostly on the 9am flight SEA-YVR, which means you can do something like this:
Results from ExpertFlyer.com
Flight Availability Search
Departing SEA on 10/01/23 12:00 AM for YVR
Flying AS on booking class E U T
Direct/Non-Stop Only
Results from https://www.ExpertFlyer.com
Code:
Flight Availability Search
Departing SEA on 10/01/23 12:00 AM for YVR
Flying AS on booking class E U T
Direct/Non-Stop Only
Frequency
Flight Stops Depart Arrive Aircraft Reliability Available Classes
0 Connections
AS (**) 2185 0 SEA YVR E75 Daily U4 E0 T0
10/01/23 9:33 AM 10/01/23 10:33 AM NA / NA
0 Connections
AS (**) 3321 0 SEA YVR E75 Su U0 E0 T0
10/01/23 12:05 PM 10/01/23 1:06 PM 74% / 25m
0 Connections
AS (**) 2223 0 SEA YVR E75 Daily U0 E0 T0
10/01/23 3:35 PM 10/01/23 4:24 PM NA / NA
0 Connections
AS (**) 2075 0 SEA YVR E75 Daily U4 E0 T7
10/01/23 7:55 PM 10/01/23 8:55 PM NA / NA
0 Connections
AS (**) 2266 0 SEA YVR E75 Daily U4 E0 T0
10/01/23 9:10 PM 10/01/23 9:59 PM NA / NA
0 Connections
AS (**) 2034 0 SEA YVR E75 Daily U4 E0 T0
10/01/23 10:57 PM 10/01/23 11:59 PM NA / NA