How Reliable is ExpertFlyer?
Jan 13, 2020, 10:51 pm
#16
Moderator, Air Canada; FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Interesting.
I did once have a time where the agent tried to tell me P=0 even though EF told me P=1. She told me that EF wasn't up to date. I told her I could also purchase a P fare on the website. She told me it was phantom availability, the website didn't have the latest inventory (she said the same of EF) and that it would error out before I could purchase. So I purchased it, it went through, and she agreed to go talk to NRD. After talking to them for a bit, they figured it out and got the upgrade done. I don't know exactly what they did, but it worked out, which was all that mattered to me.
Have you tried to see whether you can actually purchase the flight in question in P?
I did once have a time where the agent tried to tell me P=0 even though EF told me P=1. She told me that EF wasn't up to date. I told her I could also purchase a P fare on the website. She told me it was phantom availability, the website didn't have the latest inventory (she said the same of EF) and that it would error out before I could purchase. So I purchased it, it went through, and she agreed to go talk to NRD. After talking to them for a bit, they figured it out and got the upgrade done. I don't know exactly what they did, but it worked out, which was all that mattered to me.
Have you tried to see whether you can actually purchase the flight in question in P?
Jan 13, 2020, 10:58 pm
#17
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: MEX
Programs: AC E75K
Posts: 4,171
Interesting.
I did once have a time where the agent tried to tell me P=0 even though EF told me P=1. She told me that EF wasn't up to date. I told her I could also purchase a P fare on the website. She told me it was phantom availability, the website didn't have the latest inventory (she said the same of EF) and that it would error out before I could purchase. So I purchased it, it went through, and she agreed to go talk to NRD. After talking to them for a bit, they figured it out and got the upgrade done. I don't know exactly what they did, but it worked out, which was all that mattered to me.
Have you tried to see whether you can actually purchase the flight in question in P?
I did once have a time where the agent tried to tell me P=0 even though EF told me P=1. She told me that EF wasn't up to date. I told her I could also purchase a P fare on the website. She told me it was phantom availability, the website didn't have the latest inventory (she said the same of EF) and that it would error out before I could purchase. So I purchased it, it went through, and she agreed to go talk to NRD. After talking to them for a bit, they figured it out and got the upgrade done. I don't know exactly what they did, but it worked out, which was all that mattered to me.
Have you tried to see whether you can actually purchase the flight in question in P?
If I just search for this flight and select ‘Business Lowest’, it gives me a Z fare.
So perhaps EF is indeed wrong in this case?
Jan 13, 2020, 11:00 pm
#18
Moderator, Air Canada; FlyerTalk Evangelist
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ac.com will default to the lowest fare class. If it's selling you Z, there's probably no P. But are you trying the direct or the one-stop? You should try to buy the direct, since upgrades are segment-by-segment.
Jan 13, 2020, 11:07 pm
#19
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: MEX
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Jan 13, 2020, 11:10 pm
#20
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Jan 14, 2020, 2:21 am
#21
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: MEX
Programs: AC E75K
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But the mystery deepens.
EF now shows P6. I call in and Concierge confirms there is P space but only P1. Weird but whatever.
Since the system is not auto-upgrading me, he has to call the Resource Desk. Comes back and tells me the Resource Desk is saying they have to see P space by searching the full routing, DEL-YVR-YOW, which still shows P0 for DEL-YVR, instead of just DEL-YVR. Is this correct?
Jan 14, 2020, 5:20 am
#22
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: MEX
Programs: AC E75K
Posts: 4,171
I tried one-way.
But the mystery deepens.
EF now shows P6. I call in and Concierge confirms there is P space but only P1. Weird but whatever.
Since the system is not auto-upgrading me, he has to call the Resource Desk. Comes back and tells me the Resource Desk is saying they have to see P space by searching the full routing, DEL-YVR-YOW, which still shows P0 for DEL-YVR, instead of just DEL-YVR. Is this correct?
But the mystery deepens.
EF now shows P6. I call in and Concierge confirms there is P space but only P1. Weird but whatever.
Since the system is not auto-upgrading me, he has to call the Resource Desk. Comes back and tells me the Resource Desk is saying they have to see P space by searching the full routing, DEL-YVR-YOW, which still shows P0 for DEL-YVR, instead of just DEL-YVR. Is this correct?
I thought about this some more and didn't think the above explanation made sense since I could opt to only request the upgrade for DEL-YVR and not YVR-YOW. So I called back and the new Concierge agent was able to get it processed by calling "another department". Another case of HUCA working in out, but frustrating that this stuff is so unstraightforward.
And FWIW, after my upgrade was cleared, EF is now showing J9 C7 D8 Z6 P0 R0.
Feb 20, 2020, 3:17 pm
#23
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: MEX
Programs: AC E75K
Posts: 4,171
This seems to be happening more and more with AC.
AC756 on 3/22. EF shows: J9 C9 D9 Z6 P6 R0 Y9 B9 M9 U9 H9 Q9 V9 W9 G9 S4 T0 L0 A0 K0
I've tried multiple points of sale (US, Canada, Europe) and asked about further advancement (SFO-YYZ vs. SFO-YYZ-AMS), and multiple AC agents all insist they see nothing below D in all cases.
Any ideas?
AC756 on 3/22. EF shows: J9 C9 D9 Z6 P6 R0 Y9 B9 M9 U9 H9 Q9 V9 W9 G9 S4 T0 L0 A0 K0
I've tried multiple points of sale (US, Canada, Europe) and asked about further advancement (SFO-YYZ vs. SFO-YYZ-AMS), and multiple AC agents all insist they see nothing below D in all cases.
Any ideas?
Last edited by capedreamer; Feb 20, 2020 at 3:22 pm
Feb 20, 2020, 3:22 pm
#26
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Feb 20, 2020, 3:24 pm
#27
Join Date: Dec 2015
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Edit: This is the case if both segments are AC. They will show separately if you are on another carrier for the 2nd segment.
Last edited by Yhztraveller; Feb 20, 2020 at 3:35 pm Reason: new info
Feb 20, 2020, 3:26 pm
#28
Moderator, Air Canada; FlyerTalk Evangelist
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@capedreamer, is this about eUps, as your previous question was? Because if so, @canadiancow, are't eUps still based on segment-by-segment availability, i.e. ignoring married segments? In which case, shouldn't the SFO-YYZ availability be what governs it?
Feb 20, 2020, 3:28 pm
#29
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@capedreamer, is this about eUps, as your previous question was? Because if so, @canadiancow, are't eUps still based on segment-by-segment availability, i.e. ignoring married segments? In which case, shouldn't the SFO-YYZ availability be what governs it?
Feb 20, 2020, 3:30 pm
#30
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: MEX
Programs: AC E75K
Posts: 4,171
@capedreamer, is this about eUps, as your previous question was? Because if so, @canadiancow, are't eUps still based on segment-by-segment availability, i.e. ignoring married segments? In which case, shouldn't the SFO-YYZ availability be what governs it?
If I search SFO-AMS, EF indeed shows this for AC756: J9 C9 D0 Z0 P0 R0 Y9 B9 M9 U9 H9 Q9 V9 W4 G0 S0 T0 L0 A0 K0
But as @Adam Smith suggested, I also thought segment-by-segment availability is what matters (this is what a Concierge agent confirmed to me last time as well and ultimately somehow pushed through my upgrade). But today, multiple agents advised they see no P or Z space even just searching SFO-YYZ, whereas I see plenty through EF.
@canadiancow This is a Latitude AMS-SFO round trip (all legs in B). I mentioned D being the lowest fare class available because that's apparently what the AC agents see.