Fares Available but rebooking into higher — going crazy?
Aug 15, 2023, 4:09 am
#16
Moderator: Aegean Miles+Bonus
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moreover expertflyer availability might not be accurate - it's complicated, because availabilty might be different based on the point of sale - however airlines have started to use avialability based on the point of commencement for which the availability can be different again.
in January I could rebook the inbound on an O and Z fare from SIN to NUE via CDG (only two days prior to departure - moved flight from Jan 6 to Jan 2). the rebooking options shown on the air france website did not match any availability info shown on expertflyer (no matter which POS I entered).
in January I could rebook the inbound on an O and Z fare from SIN to NUE via CDG (only two days prior to departure - moved flight from Jan 6 to Jan 2). the rebooking options shown on the air france website did not match any availability info shown on expertflyer (no matter which POS I entered).
One thing to complicate these searches for complex itineraries is the married segments logic. The beta version of the EF website does a little better with this, as it also allows putting alerts on the combined segments rather than individual flights - allowing to get notified if there is availability. But it is often still a little wonky, and like you, I’ve seen availability that is consistently reported/alerted on EF but not available through AFKL.
Aug 15, 2023, 4:37 am
#17
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Thanks everyone for the input. Fare classes and rules are indeed hell and the restrictions around purchase date etc certainly could be affecting what I'd be able to book.
That said, a couple of updates on my specific case:
-> After insistir again the excellent team of AF over Messenger figured out it was indeed a glitch and I should be able to book into available classes.
-> It seems Z and O availability shown on ExpertFlyer (even though this is not a complex itinerary rather a direct one-segment flight) is bogus or at least non bookable. Both the AF social media team and a quick attempt at booking via Expedia show "I" as the lowest fare bookable.
-> AF is happy to let me rebook into "I" for a much less crazy fare difference.
So it seems in this case at least information I was provided multiple times was indeed wrong.
That said, a couple of updates on my specific case:
-> After insistir again the excellent team of AF over Messenger figured out it was indeed a glitch and I should be able to book into available classes.
-> It seems Z and O availability shown on ExpertFlyer (even though this is not a complex itinerary rather a direct one-segment flight) is bogus or at least non bookable. Both the AF social media team and a quick attempt at booking via Expedia show "I" as the lowest fare bookable.
-> AF is happy to let me rebook into "I" for a much less crazy fare difference.
So it seems in this case at least information I was provided multiple times was indeed wrong.
Aug 15, 2023, 4:45 am
#18
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Aug 15, 2023, 4:47 am
#19
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Aug 15, 2023, 5:39 am
#21
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I know the fare rules say I should be able to change for the historical fare after departure, but I am also a bit paranoid that the availability will not be there, or that some other fare rule or restriction will kick in to nix the ability to change the date to one I find more favourable.
Just in case, I've already locked in a Flying Blue award to get me home, just in case it all goes wrong and I have to forfeit my BA return due to being unable to change it to an acceptable date at an acceptable price.
Aug 15, 2023, 5:59 am
#22
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I know the fare rules say I should be able to change for the historical fare after departure, but I am also a bit paranoid that the availability will not be there, or that some other fare rule or restriction will kick in to nix the ability to change the date to one I find more favourable.
Aug 15, 2023, 6:11 am
#23
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Most fare rules have a rule such as the following (taken randomly from a BA ticket similar to the one I want to change) where I've highlighted the requirement to use historical fares once a reprice is initiated after departure of the first leg.
In this example historical fares must also be used in other circumstances, but the ticket I have isn't quite this lenient in this regard; I only get access to historical fares after flying the outbound
And here's an example from a KLM fare rule:
In this example historical fares must also be used in other circumstances, but the ticket I have isn't quite this lenient in this regard; I only get access to historical fares after flying the outbound
Code:
--- REPRICING CONDITIONS ---
REPRICE USING ANY FARE TYPE EXCEPT ERU AND EOU.
A. BEFORE DEPARTURE OF JOURNEY WHEN THE FIRST
FARE COMPONENT IS CHANGED THE ITINERARY MUST BE
RE-PRICED USING CURRENT FARES IN EFFECT ON THE
DATE THE TICKET IS REISSUED.
B. BEFORE DEPARTURE OF JOURNEY WHEN CHANGES ARE
TO BOOKING CODE ONLY IN THE FIRST FARE COMPONENT
AND RESULT IN A HIGHER FARE THE ITINERARY MUST BE
RE-PRICED USING HISTORICAL FARES IN EFFECT ON THE
PREVIOUS TICKETING DATE OR USING CURRENT FARES IN
EFFECT ON THE DATE THE TICKET IS REISSUED -
WHICHEVER IS LOWER.
C. BEFORE DEPARTURE OF JOURNEY WHEN THERE ARE NO
CHANGES TO THE FIRST FARE COMPONENT BUT OTHER
FARE COMPONENTS ARE CHANGED THE ITINERARY MUST BE
RE-PRICED USING HISTORICAL FARES IN EFFECT ON THE
PREVIOUS TICKETING DATE OR USING CURRENT FARES IN
EFFECT ON THE DATE THE TICKET IS REISSUED-
WHICHEVER IS LOWER.
D. AFTER DEPARTURE OF JOURNEY THE ITINERARY MUST
BE RE-PRICED USING HISTORICAL FARES IN EFFECT ON
THE PREVIOUS TICKETING DATE.
Code:
AFTER DEPARTURE
CHANGES PERMITTED.
NOTE -
/////
// AFTER OUTBOUND DEPARTURE //
////
NEW RESERVATION / REISSUANCE AND PAYMENT
OF THE PENALTY MUST BE MADE AT THE SAME TIME
-------------------------------
NEW FARE WILL BE RECALCULATED USING
FARES IN EFFECT ON THE PREVIOUS TICKETING DATE
AND UNDER FOLLOWING CONDITIONS
- IF SAME BOOKING CLASS IS USED NEW FARE MAY BE
LOWER OR EQUAL OR HIGHER THAN PREVIOUS AND
A / MUST COMPLY WITH ALL PROVISIONS OF THE
ORIGINALLY TICKETED FARE
B / OR MUST COMPLY WITH ALL PROVISIONS OF THE
NEW FARE BEING APPLIED
- IF A DIFFERENT BOOKING CLASS IS USED NEW FARE
MAY BE EQUAL OR HIGHER THAN PREVIOUS AND
UNDER FOLLOWING CONDITIONS
A / MUST COMPLY WITH ALL PROVISIONS OF THE NEW
FARE BEING APPLIED
-----------------------
Aug 15, 2023, 6:45 am
#25
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This is fairly common rule across most airlines. It is often cheaper to change the return leg after the outbound has been flown.
The BA rule posted would also suggest that historical pricing can be used before departure if the outbound remains unchanged.
The BA rule posted would also suggest that historical pricing can be used before departure if the outbound remains unchanged.
Aug 15, 2023, 6:50 am
#26
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Interesting because this might / could have been at play here? I noticed now that I forgot to add that (important) detail but I flown the CDG-SIN leg and am now trying to change SIN-CDG.
Aug 15, 2023, 7:17 am
#27
Join Date: Dec 2022
Posts: 391
I would also like to point out that availability is based on the whole itinerary, not a single leg/bound.
On EF you can only search oneway availability, which often can be inaccurate for a round trip/multicity itinerary. I have opted to build my own availability search tool using Amadeus API to solve this issue.
On EF you can only search oneway availability, which often can be inaccurate for a round trip/multicity itinerary. I have opted to build my own availability search tool using Amadeus API to solve this issue.
Aug 15, 2023, 8:21 am
#28
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Yes, they seriously did that. $10 change in fare + $200 taxes&fees. With AF/KL and all their "glitches" I'd almost suggest using a good TA (e.g. propeller travel) to avoid having to deal with their CS.
Aug 15, 2023, 8:31 am
#29
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The YR was already collected and won't be collected a second time just because you make a change to your return. We are talking here about changing a ticket - not requesting a cancellation (where the YR may very well be kept as non-refundable)
Aug 15, 2023, 8:36 am
#30
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There's another standard set of conditions which invokes historical pricing if the first flight is untouched. The early pandemic BUD-Hawai'i fare had that version, which was quite useful!