Read this post.

ITA doesn't handle married segments and a few other things properly.

It's a good starting point, but seeing something there does not mean it's bookable.

Thanks for that information. I tried a different itinerary from google flights and it ended up leading to the same error message.

A question re segments.

When I search on AC, it will show me flights with eg. 2 segments.

But when I search on ITA Matrix, it shows me flights with up to 4 segments.

Can I book the latter by phoning in?

If you install https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trav...-lh-lx-tk.html you can pull up the exact itinerary on ac.com (most of the time)

Thanks for that.

Quite something.

I have a follow-up question: is there a way to specify Comfort fares?

When I enter the various fare booking codes, I always end up with the standard fare.

(I saw the question asked in the Power Tools thread, but couldn't find the answer, so I'm guessing it's not possible?)

TIA

In the extension codes field you can use the following to specify an AC fare family

• f ac..-tg for Standard
• f ac..-fl for Flex
• f ac..-co for Comfort

This has the byproduct of filtering out OAL too. You'll also want to use https://oldmatrix.itasoftware.com/ to use the powertools

Thanks very much, again.

And yet another question:

Does anyone know how to add a discount code using Matrix Power Tools?

I see at the bottom of the list of AC choices one allowing me to "Add Promo Code", but when I click on that link nothing happens--no pop-up box, etc. Or at least not one I can see.

I have my ad-blocker turned off.

cheers

kl

After you click on 'Add Promo Code', move the mouse and the menu will disappear. There will be a text box to ender the promo code and a button to launch the search.

And if you need a different currency (I'm like 50/50 between CAD and USD, and that link only gives me one of them), just append &AUTHORIZATION_ID=promocode to the URL.

Are Matrix itineraries always bookable?
 

I'm trying to book YYZ-JNB with a stopover in FRA on the outbound. Found a great itinerary and price on Matrix, both legs are AC fares so I figure I should be able to book with AC to get my SQD.

I tried initially to book on AC.com, I can select the YYZ-FRA leg, but then it says "no flights available" for the FRA-JNB leg even though of course there are. I figured this was an IT problem, so I called reservations and tried to spoonfeed the itinerary. However, the agent said he couldn't book it because a) there was a stopover and b) the second flight wasn't AC. (It's LH of course.) The fare rules do allow for stopovers.

My inclination is to HUCA. However, my one hesitation is that I can't actually replicate the Matrix price anywhere else (Google Flights, Expedia, etc.) so maybe it actually isn't bookable. Is there such a thing as "phantom availability" on Matrix?

The answer to your fundamental question ("Are Matrix itineraries always bookable?") is no. That doesn't mean yours can't be booked, but it's not guaranteed. There's plenty of information on it in this existing thread, which is why I've moved your post here.

AFAIK Matrix doesn't deal with married segments or O/D availability properly.

It's a good starting point, and really useful in IRROPS where all you need is positive space, but if you can't pull up the itinerary anywhere else, then my suspicion is it's not bookable.

Booking a specific fare class (brand + code) for eUpgrade
 

I've been looking for this and everywhere and despite the multiple guides on the Internet and on this forum describing the rules for the branded fare class on Air Canada, one thing I could not get is how to force a booking in a specific fare code. This has a direct impact on the number of eUpgrade credits required so it is certainly useful. For example, M class in FLEX generally requires only 1-2 credit.

On United website, it is possible to search and book a specific booking class. I haven't found the same thing on Air Canada. It is possible to call the reservation line to ask for a specific booking class but knowing the price ahead of time can be useful. I just realized that it you can search for those fares in ITA Matrix.

The trick is to select "Show Advanced Controls". And then use the following two options:

• Routing Code: O:AC (to force Air Canada)
• Extension Code: F ..m-fl

The extension code is where the magic happens. "F .." is to search a fare basis. The Air Canada fare basis rules will start with the fare code and end with the branded fare. The "-" is a wildcard so "F ..m-fl" is to search a FLEX fare in M class. The other possible brand codes are the following:

• Economy basic: lgt
• Standard: tg
• Flex: fl
• Comfort: co
• Latitude: lt
• Premium economy lowest: pl
• Premium economy flexible: pf
• Business lowest: el
• Business flexible: ef

Using the above allows one to price a flight with different fare basis to see if it worth going from say a H class that could require up to 8 eUpgrade credits in Flex to a M class requiring a max of 2 credits.
Unfortunately if you want to book, Air Canada reservation or a travel agent will need to get involved but at least you can search for the pricing in advance.