YOWgary

So, it's time to start another "share your data points" thread, in this case I'm looking only for places where the booking engine is producing illogical or missing results. The goal here is to flag specific breaks in the search engine, separate from things like "why can't I select seats online"?

I hope this helps, and that it doesn't just make sense in my head!

Things that I would suggest that DO fit here:
- Anything where the website or app search engines can see things that a phone agent can't.
- Anything the website can't find, that a phone agent can.
- Anything where a booking shows up in the search engine, but repeated attempts can't get the booking to complete.

Things that I would suggest DON'T fit here:
- look and feel of the website/app, including how the search engine displays results
- crashes on the website/app
- anything to do with your account details
- anything to do with managing existing bookings
- anything to do with upgrades
- it's now common AC-FT knowledge that the website can't handle complex multi-city bookings, and that the feature's supposed to arrive in 2021.

How to make a post Really Useful:
- reproduce the error in the app and the website
- check it against another partner program
- if you find a solution (especially with an agent), let us know what worked!



So, let's get started!

For our first example, tonight's wild goose chase was a client looking for Halifax-Paris early next year.

1. United.com shows YHZ-EWR-CDG-EWR-YHZ in X / I / I / X, respectively, bookable online.

2. Aircanada.com and the AC app (and ANA.co.jp) can see the whole routing if it's all in X, but can't see any results in an X / I mix.

3. An Aeroplan phone agent couldn't see any results at all for the whole routing, but COULD see each segment individually.

I spent half an hour on this with an agent tonight, and when searching YHZ-EWR-CDG in one piece, she was getting zero search results, couldn't even see what the AC website was showing for an all-X booking.

So, the problem wasn't that the partner space wasn't available, but rather that the AC booking engine couldn't figure out how to assemble them into a mixed-class I award.

Tonight's agent was able to solve it by searching in Availability mode and then assembling the routing one segment at a time, and suggested that if I run into a similar problem in future, I should suggest that specific method to the agent.

Adam Smith

Interesting... So not just one of the classic AC website issues, but something going on behind that with Amadeus or whatever.

AC.com or the app would never sell you YHZ-EWR-CDG anyway, but have you seen this occur with any revenue bookings thus far, or only points bookings?

YOWgary

I had to thoroughly disappoint a RTW client in Alberta last year when we couldn't get multiple partner segments to combine into one booking, but other than that, no, I only ever see this issue on the award side.

rankourabu

Didnt the booking engine always prefer AC flights, and always had a hard time pulling partner options if there were too many AC options?


My annoying issue is that you cant change your FF# on Aeroplan bookings.

We had initially booked and input our UA*G numbers in at booking for free bags. Then tried to change it to the AC# so as E35 could use my eupgrades, website errors out, everytime.
Finally had to call and an agent replaced the number with AC E35 and only then I can apply eupgrades.

YOWgary

Please see the list of topics that belong in the regular Website thread.

zappy312

For what it's worth, I ran into a similar situation as @YOWgary and heard from AC that it was a case of married segment logic (or rather in my case, un-married segment logic) that prevented me from booking the flights I wanted.

I was trying to book OSL-TOS-LYR in X/X.
1. United showed OSL-TOS-LYR in X/X as available (and OSL-TOS and TOS-LYR in X/X as available)
2. Air Canada.com showed OSL-TOS and TOS-LYR in X/X as available. OSL-TOS-LYR came back with no results.
3. Multiple phone agents could see OSL-TOS and TOS-LYR in X/X. When they selected OSL-TOS in X, TOS-LYR in X was no longer a result. They had OSL-TOS in X and then TOS-LYR in I however. Nothing came back when they searched OSL-LYR.
4. I ended up doing a stopover for 5k extra to get around the issue, and just booked an earlier OSL-TOS flight. I tried to book OSL-TOS online and add on TOS-LYR via phone, but no luck.

After some more follow-up with Air Canada (they were really gracious and did some in-depth digging for me), they determined it was a case where partner availability and journey logic was controlled by the partner (which is understandable). They noted their new system has higher quality data than ua.com which is likely why I saw this case occurring. Assessments at the segment level found availability, but not at the full journey level. \
(Apologies in advance if there's any inconsistencies in my story, this was a few months back at this point).

YOWgary

It looks like you ran into essentially the same issue I did - but my agent was able to work around it by searching in Availability mode, then piecing the segments together one by one.

Jacquelyn Hyde

Apologies if this has been asked / answered before, I couldn't find anything similar.

Booking Aeroplan (Mukti City) reward for next year.
Leg 1: YYZ --> FCO
Leg 2: VCE --> YYZ

I chose Business Class for the first leg, but the only options for the second leg, for all flight options, is the "Economy Standard Reward". I cannot book Flex, Latitude or Business Class. If I try to book as 2 single 1 way tickets, it works and I can book Business Class for the return. Is what I am trying to do not allowed? I tried multiple dates, and got the same results each time.

Captain Canuck

It appears to be a Glitch in the Matrix....

I noticed the same issue with Multi City bookings of late, specifically when using with international flights. Tried the same domestically with no issues ?

Those a little closer to the technical aspects of the system can probably give a more technical explanation but suspect it is a short term glitch while they work on making the site better.

Looks like your short term options are booking both segments as one ways, or calling in and have them do it for you, as their system will not allow it (they should wave the fee here in that case).

Good Luck

CC

Bartolo

I was looking at a return transborder itinerary (not multi city) and had the same issue. I saw J for the return but AE only showed economy. No issue getting J for the outbound other than the fact it was triple the amount of points prior to the “new” AE.

Adam Smith

Does this occur on the app as well as the website?

Bartolo

Yes. Although, to be honest I’ve switched to primarily using the app because it’s quicker. Interestingly, Google flights didn’t show AC for my itinerary. This was about a week ago. App showed it in revenue and points (outbound only). Haven’t looked at Google flights since then.

172pilot

I would just book it as two one ways. With the current program, the number of points is the same either way. There is really no advantage to booking it as a return.

rankourabu

Not paying 2x$39 partner fee?

canadiancow

Or applying a priority reward.