C Class availability question
 

Hi everyone,

I am looking at a CDG-YUL round trip on June 6th, return on the 30th.

Looking on ITN for flight 871 CDG-YUL on an A330, I see the following:

J9 C1 Y9 M9 B9 H9 V6 Q0 L0

My other choice that day is AC865, which is usually a ratty old 767 doesn't even have J!

Y9 M9 B9 H9 V9 Q9 L0

How can C class be at 1 when even the mighty SE's can only use certs one week before. What am I missing?

C class is, I believe, also used for corporate accounts - who get discounted business fares, and for AC management travel. Then again I don't even pretend to understand how AC's yield managment systen works http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Why do you care about the C inventory showing today? You should be concerned with the number of C seats in your upgrade window (48 hrs?). June 6 is pretty far in the future.

AC is planning to operate a 767-200 with no international J and the "enhanced" premium Y cabin to Paris this summer??? That's going to create some happy customers.

I guess AC management in Paris will be taking up C inventory to go watch Formula 1 that weekend?

I know that I shouldn't worry about C inventory until 72 hours before I leave, I was just trying to understand how it works. Plus, I am not so sure it is a good idea to try the lottery on the eve of the aforementionned F1 Grand Prix in Montreal. I don't want to be stuck with an €1400 Y class ticket.

Unfortunately, that's just the nature of the lottery. I wonder why they bothered changing the upgrade window. Effectively, they can reduce the window just by zeroing C inventory until just before the flight. That seems to be what they're doing.

Sure enough, AC885 is a B767-200 domestic. PTO seat map shows that they are selling rows 1 through 6 as economy. Truly bizzare.

... but it seems AC885 is only operated that one day, perhaps as to add extra capacity for the Formula 1 in YUL as mentioned. I guess they don't expect any more J pax than usual, or they don't have any extra SJ equiped aircraft.

I don't see a problem with this. At least they aren't selling it as SJ and then on day of departure seating SJ pax in domestic J with a $100 MCO. It makes sense IMO.

The trouble with mixing the fleet like this is many people never look at a schedule and have no idea how AC's planes are configured. Someone who is stuck in the domestic premium Y cabin for 7 hours will think that all AC seats are that close together and will fly Air France next time. A SE who cannot upgrade will defect to another airline. Things like this should matter. If AC advertises a certain product, it should be available on all flights all the time. If they can't offer it, they shouldn't operate the flight. Reputation is a big thing on routes where there is competition.

True Stu, I didn't think through all the possible implications. I suppose someone who's meeting ends late in Paris may look at the sked, think there is a full service flight as AC885, and head to CDG only to find out that his/her full-fare Executive First seat will be economy that day.

I totally agree with you, now in hindsight.

There are so many reasons why those C class seats are gone before the upgrade window. Such as those 2-for-1 coupons, RTW tickets...

You want a true lottery, try the HKG route. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

P.S. Since you are buying a full fare ticket, why are you even buying it this early and worrying about C class?

Empress, I haven`t bought it yet, I am just considering my options.

Since that weekend is Grand Prix Weekend in Montreal, and I am flying from Europe I have to make a decision quite soon if I still want to find a cheap ticket to YUL that weekend.

The decision is buy a cheap ticket now on any airline (preferably on United because I get E+) or wait till the last minute to try the Lotto.

Well at least it makes life exciting! :-)

But as an Elite, can't you only upgrade from Y fares?

I think newbie elite is considering either buying a Q fare now (and abandon hopes of upgrading, or fly UA on a cheap seat in E+), or wait until the last minute and buy a Y seat and upgrade.

If this is in fact F1 weekend in Montreal, and AC has gone so far as to put on an extra "Super Economy" plane for the day, I think it's pretty much guaranteed the real J cabin will be filled with paying customers? I would think chances of an upgrade are pretty slim. [Certainly not enough to risk the lotto on a direct trans-Atlantic flight into Montreal!!]

andrew


[This message has been edited by Andrew Webber (edited 04-17-2002).]

No need to play the lottery if you are happy to fly with AC. Buy a Q now, 3 days out if there is upgrade space, turn your Q into a Y. No change fees or anything when going to a full Y. You still have to worry about the return, but that is a different question.

I assume they are keeping C at 0 or 1 as they expect the flight to be oversold. This is usually the case on this route I think in summer. I am flying YUL - CDG in May in J, only showing a couple of unallocated seats in the J cabin now, and Y looks full.