Why doesn't AC open last minute award seats on 1/2 full flights?
Mar 26, 2019, 10:24 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2019
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 99
Why doesn't AC open last minute award seats on 1/2 full flights?
Wondering if anyone knows why AC doesn't release award seats close to the departure date when cabins are quite empty?
Random example:
AC 33 J YVR-SYD March 27 is still showing 19 of the 44 seats in that cabin as available - it's been like that for a week or more.
Wouldn't AC want to burn off some of the liability of AP points by getting people into these seats? Plane's going anyway!
(No, I'm not mad; not heading to Sydney; not raging at AP or AC - just curious about the thinking behind this.)
Random example:
AC 33 J YVR-SYD March 27 is still showing 19 of the 44 seats in that cabin as available - it's been like that for a week or more.
Wouldn't AC want to burn off some of the liability of AP points by getting people into these seats? Plane's going anyway!
(No, I'm not mad; not heading to Sydney; not raging at AP or AC - just curious about the thinking behind this.)
Mar 27, 2019, 4:33 am
#5
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Toronto - YYZ
Programs: Aeroplan/Hilton Gold/Marriott Bonvoy Titanium/Accor/Hyatt Gold Passport
Posts: 5,899
Mar 27, 2019, 5:59 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: YVR
Programs: AC SE 2MM; UA MP Premier Silver; Marriott Bonvoy LT Titanium Elite; Radisson; Avis PC
Posts: 35,255
Wondering if anyone knows why AC doesn't release award seats close to the departure date when cabins are quite empty?
Random example:
AC 33 J YVR-SYD March 27 is still showing 19 of the 44 seats in that cabin as available - it's been like that for a week or more.
Wouldn't AC want to burn off some of the liability of AP points by getting people into these seats? Plane's going anyway!
(No, I'm not mad; not heading to Sydney; not raging at AP or AC - just curious about the thinking behind this.)
Random example:
AC 33 J YVR-SYD March 27 is still showing 19 of the 44 seats in that cabin as available - it's been like that for a week or more.
Wouldn't AC want to burn off some of the liability of AP points by getting people into these seats? Plane's going anyway!
(No, I'm not mad; not heading to Sydney; not raging at AP or AC - just curious about the thinking behind this.)
Mar 27, 2019, 6:06 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Posts: 12,068
Mar 27, 2019, 6:12 am
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: YVR
Programs: AC SE 2MM; UA MP Premier Silver; Marriott Bonvoy LT Titanium Elite; Radisson; Avis PC
Posts: 35,255
Mar 27, 2019, 6:14 am
#9
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Ideally YOW, but probably not
Programs: AC SE*MM
Posts: 1,822
J9 but R0. Between eUp requests and LMUs they'll get some $ for many of those seats. Although maybe now that Aeroplan miles are an Air Canada liability again they'll be more interested in getting them off their books and opening up some last-minute space.
They could probably also use some tuning of their LMU algorithm to maximize people paying for J & PY seats. I see a lot of crazy high LMU offers and then cabins going out less than full.
They could probably also use some tuning of their LMU algorithm to maximize people paying for J & PY seats. I see a lot of crazy high LMU offers and then cabins going out less than full.
Mar 27, 2019, 6:15 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: YVR
Programs: AC SE 2MM; UA MP Premier Silver; Marriott Bonvoy LT Titanium Elite; Radisson; Avis PC
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J9 but R0. Between eUp requests and LMUs they'll get some $ for many of those seats. Although maybe now that Aeroplan miles are an Air Canada liability again they'll be more interested in getting them off their books and opening up some last-minute space.
They could probably also use some tuning of their LMU algorithm to maximize people paying for J & PY seats. I see a lot of crazy high LMU offers and then cabins going out less than full.
They could probably also use some tuning of their LMU algorithm to maximize people paying for J & PY seats. I see a lot of crazy high LMU offers and then cabins going out less than full.
Mar 27, 2019, 6:19 am
#11
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC 50K, Marriott Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 1,548
Anecdotal I know but I took 872 last Sunday. J did go out full but there were 4 gate upgrades. Most likely SE, so no co-pay. The upgrades came from PE and even after non-revs made the flight, PE had two open seats.
Mar 27, 2019, 6:20 am
#12
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 492
J9 but R0. Between eUp requests and LMUs they'll get some $ for many of those seats. Although maybe now that Aeroplan miles are an Air Canada liability again they'll be more interested in getting them off their books and opening up some last-minute space.
They could probably also use some tuning of their LMU algorithm to maximize people paying for J & PY seats. I see a lot of crazy high LMU offers and then cabins going out less than full.
They could probably also use some tuning of their LMU algorithm to maximize people paying for J & PY seats. I see a lot of crazy high LMU offers and then cabins going out less than full.
On the other hand if they sell them off cheaply at the last minute, who is going to want to pay eight to $10,000 for J ? They’ll just buy flex and do a LMU
I should imagine it’s quite a fine line, and generally these flights actually are full
Mar 27, 2019, 6:23 am
#13
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC 50K, Marriott Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 1,548
Mar 27, 2019, 6:35 am
#14
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 492
I did that once (3 anyway) and got the best sleep I’ve ever had on the plane. The food however was horrible. And the people around me were trying to pinch the seats all the time so it was a little awkward even though they had been blocked out for me by the concierge.
Mar 27, 2019, 10:26 am
#15
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