Expert Flyer vs Air NZ availability
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: New Zealand (most of the time)
Programs: Air NZ Elite *G, Honors Gold, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 6,055
Expert Flyer vs Air NZ availability
Out of interest has anybody ever come across a scenario where Expert Flyer is showing A class availability but Air NZ call centre insist there is none?
#3
Left Expert Flyer 4/23
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,741
There can be many factors, including Point of Sale, married segments, and most importantly making sure there is a valid published A fare to go with the A inventory. If you need more help post here or email us with the details.
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: WLG/BKK
Programs: TG*G, NZ*GE, QF G, Accor Gold
Posts: 10,116
Long time subsciber to ExpertFlyer.
recently looking to change flight dates for one segment of ICN-BKK-AKL. I noted that the revised date BKK-AKL was showing C2D2J0 and the (now) same date ICN-BKK was wide open.
However, ICN-BKK-AKL showed C2D1 which I thought was odd, but was reflected on THAI's website.
recently looking to change flight dates for one segment of ICN-BKK-AKL. I noted that the revised date BKK-AKL was showing C2D2J0 and the (now) same date ICN-BKK was wide open.
However, ICN-BKK-AKL showed C2D1 which I thought was odd, but was reflected on THAI's website.
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,324
Long time subsciber to ExpertFlyer.
recently looking to change flight dates for one segment of ICN-BKK-AKL. I noted that the revised date BKK-AKL was showing C2D2J0 and the (now) same date ICN-BKK was wide open.
However, ICN-BKK-AKL showed C2D1 which I thought was odd, but was reflected on THAI's website.
recently looking to change flight dates for one segment of ICN-BKK-AKL. I noted that the revised date BKK-AKL was showing C2D2J0 and the (now) same date ICN-BKK was wide open.
However, ICN-BKK-AKL showed C2D1 which I thought was odd, but was reflected on THAI's website.
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: WLG/BKK
Programs: TG*G, NZ*GE, QF G, Accor Gold
Posts: 10,116
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: New Zealand (most of the time)
Programs: Air NZ Elite *G, Honors Gold, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 6,055
To add some more information to this - A class is both a revenue class for Premium Economy and also used as upgrade class to Premium Economy.
Being able to book an A class ticket from the NZ website is a guaranteed way of seeing whether there is A class. If so upgrades for Airpoints Elite customers upgrades to Premium Economy can clear immediately.
When sold as a paid fare class A is a promo class for Premium Economy and is not sold during the peak Xmas period as you can see from the NZ fare schedule -
07OCT - 15DEC ALSVAM 2000 A
20JAN - 06OCT AHSVAM 2050 A
01JAN-31DEC OHSVAM 2250 O
EHSVAM 2550 E
UHFXAM 2950 U
When I look at a specific flight on EF however I see A7 availability for a flight during this period yet the NZ call centre insists there is no availability in their system.
I booked flights to the US a few months ago and cleared my upgrade using EF and seeing A availability during this period. A friend has now booked the same flights and I have lodged an APD upgrade for him. I rang to link the bookings so I could get his upgrade cleared immediately on the return flight (which is something NZ will do) but was told there is no availability.
I'm really just wondering if it's a case of NZ telling me a lie about availability or if there is something to do with availability that I don't understand.
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: New Zealand (most of the time)
Programs: Air NZ Elite *G, Honors Gold, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 6,055
#10
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Wellington
Programs: Airpoints Elite
Posts: 80
Like you said above, my experience has been to only rely on A class being available when doing a dummy booking from the New Zealand website.
Expert flyer or other booking search engines have routinely shown A class and upon ringing, up, there were none available. I managed to "find" these A class fares by dummy booking on the same flight I was looking at, but originating in the US.
Expert flyer or other booking search engines have routinely shown A class and upon ringing, up, there were none available. I managed to "find" these A class fares by dummy booking on the same flight I was looking at, but originating in the US.