Question: Feeding of flight segments
Oct 31, 2019, 3:11 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: YYC
Programs: AEROPLAN, ALASKA
Posts: 99
Feeding of flight segments
I heard that manual feeding of flight segments by calling in to the call center will not work after mid November, when the new Amadeus system rolls in. Is this true?
Oct 31, 2019, 3:21 pm
#2
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: YXE
Posts: 3,050
For AP or for normal revenue tickets? Last time I called to book an AP ticket, I tried to feed them the exact segments I wanted on the phone, and the lady insisted that I just give city pairings. In the end, we came to the same itinerary, but it was unduly difficult.
Oct 31, 2019, 5:28 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: YYC
Programs: AEROPLAN, ALASKA
Posts: 99
For an AP ticket. I booked a trip in September and I was able to feed segments. Now I worried about making a change after Nov.
Oct 31, 2019, 5:36 pm
#5
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,347
This isn't the first time we've been "warned" about this, but I have two thoughts:
1. I've been unable to feed segments in the past. It's highly agent-dependent. In one case, she wouldn't do anything but what came in search results for SIN-SFO, which capped out at 3 segments, including SIN-TYO in Y. I found SIN-xxx-TYO in J. She just flat-out refused. Luckily I had a stopover left, so I told her I wanted to fly to YVR on the 8th instead. Then she asked when I wanted to go to SFO, and I said "the 8th". I got exactly what I wanted. Definitely harder to do this with one fewer stopover, but "I can't do it" coming from a front-line agent is NOT new.
2. What kind of search results will the new system give us? If it gives the options we want, it may all be a moot point, even if it's true.
1. I've been unable to feed segments in the past. It's highly agent-dependent. In one case, she wouldn't do anything but what came in search results for SIN-SFO, which capped out at 3 segments, including SIN-TYO in Y. I found SIN-xxx-TYO in J. She just flat-out refused. Luckily I had a stopover left, so I told her I wanted to fly to YVR on the 8th instead. Then she asked when I wanted to go to SFO, and I said "the 8th". I got exactly what I wanted. Definitely harder to do this with one fewer stopover, but "I can't do it" coming from a front-line agent is NOT new.
2. What kind of search results will the new system give us? If it gives the options we want, it may all be a moot point, even if it's true.
Oct 31, 2019, 5:46 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: YYC
Programs: AEROPLAN, ALASKA
Posts: 99
This isn't the first time we've been "warned" about this, but I have two thoughts:
1. I've been unable to feed segments in the past. It's highly agent-dependent. In one case, she wouldn't do anything but what came in search results for SIN-SFO, which capped out at 3 segments, including SIN-TYO in Y. I found SIN-xxx-TYO in J. She just flat-out refused. Luckily I had a stopover left, so I told her I wanted to fly to YVR on the 8th instead. Then she asked when I wanted to go to SFO, and I said "the 8th". I got exactly what I wanted. Definitely harder to do this with one fewer stopover, but "I can't do it" coming from a front-line agent is NOT new.
2. What kind of search results will the new system give us? If it gives the options we want, it may all be a moot point, even if it's true.
1. I've been unable to feed segments in the past. It's highly agent-dependent. In one case, she wouldn't do anything but what came in search results for SIN-SFO, which capped out at 3 segments, including SIN-TYO in Y. I found SIN-xxx-TYO in J. She just flat-out refused. Luckily I had a stopover left, so I told her I wanted to fly to YVR on the 8th instead. Then she asked when I wanted to go to SFO, and I said "the 8th". I got exactly what I wanted. Definitely harder to do this with one fewer stopover, but "I can't do it" coming from a front-line agent is NOT new.
2. What kind of search results will the new system give us? If it gives the options we want, it may all be a moot point, even if it's true.
Regarding search results, I am betting that it will be "optimized" for AC and LH flights
Oct 31, 2019, 5:54 pm
#7
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,347
Based in SFO, I regularly get UA itineraries when I want AC because AC always adds a connection.
Oct 31, 2019, 5:58 pm
#8
Join Date: May 2013
Location: YYT/YYC/TPE
Programs: AC SE, UA, National Exec Elite, Nexus, GE
Posts: 1,810
This isn't the first time we've been "warned" about this, but I have two thoughts:
1. I've been unable to feed segments in the past. It's highly agent-dependent. In one case, she wouldn't do anything but what came in search results for SIN-SFO, which capped out at 3 segments, including SIN-TYO in Y. I found SIN-xxx-TYO in J. She just flat-out refused. Luckily I had a stopover left, so I told her I wanted to fly to YVR on the 8th instead. Then she asked when I wanted to go to SFO, and I said "the 8th". I got exactly what I wanted. Definitely harder to do this with one fewer stopover, but "I can't do it" coming from a front-line agent is NOT new.
2. What kind of search results will the new system give us? If it gives the options we want, it may all be a moot point, even if it's true.
1. I've been unable to feed segments in the past. It's highly agent-dependent. In one case, she wouldn't do anything but what came in search results for SIN-SFO, which capped out at 3 segments, including SIN-TYO in Y. I found SIN-xxx-TYO in J. She just flat-out refused. Luckily I had a stopover left, so I told her I wanted to fly to YVR on the 8th instead. Then she asked when I wanted to go to SFO, and I said "the 8th". I got exactly what I wanted. Definitely harder to do this with one fewer stopover, but "I can't do it" coming from a front-line agent is NOT new.
2. What kind of search results will the new system give us? If it gives the options we want, it may all be a moot point, even if it's true.
Perhaps I need to find ways to hack Amadeus then.
Oct 31, 2019, 7:24 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: YYC
Programs: AEROPLAN, ALASKA
Posts: 99
I have been trying to get a routing from SFO with UA, AP still shows routing through YVR.
Oct 31, 2019, 7:25 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: YYC
Programs: AEROPLAN, ALASKA
Posts: 99
Well, most of the international tickets I have bought required feeding segment by segment because I often exceeded three segments each way, plus stopovers, plus other airlines, plus codeshares sometimes. I get that I may be a special case in that not many people book the way I do, but still...
Perhaps I need to find ways to hack Amadeus then.
Perhaps I need to find ways to hack Amadeus then.
Oct 31, 2019, 7:26 pm
#12
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,347
Oct 31, 2019, 7:27 pm
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: YYC
Programs: AEROPLAN, ALASKA
Posts: 99
Oct 31, 2019, 7:30 pm
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: YYC
Programs: AEROPLAN, ALASKA
Posts: 99
On a side note, is PER-AKL NZ route an unicorn interms of J award space?
Oct 31, 2019, 11:11 pm
#15
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 3,359
Interesting topic.
Out of curiosity as it currently stands it is possible for me to call Aeroplan and have them book a *A award ticket so long as there's Saver availability on ExpertFlyer? The reason I ask is I've got an upcoming flight to MAN I'd like to book using points (on AC/UA metal) that I doesn't appear on the website but does appear on ExpertFlyer.
Safe Travels,
James
Out of curiosity as it currently stands it is possible for me to call Aeroplan and have them book a *A award ticket so long as there's Saver availability on ExpertFlyer? The reason I ask is I've got an upcoming flight to MAN I'd like to book using points (on AC/UA metal) that I doesn't appear on the website but does appear on ExpertFlyer.
Safe Travels,
James