How Do You Book Flights With AS That Show Phantom Availability?
Jul 11, 2016, 11:07 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Victoria, B.C.
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA Gold LT
Posts: 1,941
How Do You Book Flights With AS That Show Phantom Availability?
Trying to book partner award flights with my miles. After entering all my information and getting to the final payment screen, it returns an error.
So I phone up the partner award desk. They say there is availability, they try to book, and after about 20 minutes come back that it can't. So we try different days, it looks promising, then after 20 minutes more typing, waiting etc. nothing. An hour down and no luck.
Online shows availability, but at payment no availability. Phone they say its available, but then it returns an error.
And I have this problem when booking AA, Delta, BA, Cathay, Emirates, Hainan.
Any suggestions? Any tips to weed out what is phantom and what might actually be bookable. Anythings I can suggest an agent can try?
So I phone up the partner award desk. They say there is availability, they try to book, and after about 20 minutes come back that it can't. So we try different days, it looks promising, then after 20 minutes more typing, waiting etc. nothing. An hour down and no luck.
Online shows availability, but at payment no availability. Phone they say its available, but then it returns an error.
And I have this problem when booking AA, Delta, BA, Cathay, Emirates, Hainan.
Any suggestions? Any tips to weed out what is phantom and what might actually be bookable. Anythings I can suggest an agent can try?
Jul 12, 2016, 8:28 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Victoria, B.C.
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA Gold LT
Posts: 1,941
I was trying to book SEA-PEK on Hainan in August, it was returning
A few months ago, I tried booking Emirates for two LAX-DXB and it returned an error as well.
Sorry, bit of a rant maybe then more of a question, but frustrated with availability showing online, and I start trying to coordinate vacation time with the wife, only to find its not bookable online, and the partner desk wasn't able to search very efficiently or even book what they thought they saw as available.
I called the partner desk again this morning 7:15 am, but it just gave me a blank empty phone line so I presume they are not open until later today, so will try again. Just looking for advice as its frustrating seeing availability but not able to complete the transaction.
Space on partner flights cannot be confirmed. Please change the dates, cities, or flights of your original request. -1620
Sorry, bit of a rant maybe then more of a question, but frustrated with availability showing online, and I start trying to coordinate vacation time with the wife, only to find its not bookable online, and the partner desk wasn't able to search very efficiently or even book what they thought they saw as available.
I called the partner desk again this morning 7:15 am, but it just gave me a blank empty phone line so I presume they are not open until later today, so will try again. Just looking for advice as its frustrating seeing availability but not able to complete the transaction.
Jul 12, 2016, 9:23 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Victoria, B.C.
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA Gold LT
Posts: 1,941
I called Mileage Plan partner desk at 8:00 (I guess that is when they open) and they are seeing as available but it keeps coming back negative when they try to purchase too. The benefit of calling Mileage Plan is that you don't have to enter your credit card information, so they can put a request in even before you enter your credit card, so it is a little quicker at eliminating phantom space / or whatever the reason space shows on Alaska Air, but won't return as bookable.
Jul 12, 2016, 6:30 pm
#7
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: PHX
Programs: AS MVP, HH Diamond
Posts: 3,259
Not the first time I've seen a thread on this and/or experienced it myself.
Is this issue being brought to the attention of some person/department who will do something about it? Agents just saying 'sorry I see the same thing' and then not passing it upchain is rather legacy airline-like.
Is this issue being brought to the attention of some person/department who will do something about it? Agents just saying 'sorry I see the same thing' and then not passing it upchain is rather legacy airline-like.
Jul 13, 2016, 5:28 am
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BOS/ORH
Programs: AS 75K
Posts: 18,323
Not the first time I've seen a thread on this and/or experienced it myself.
Is this issue being brought to the attention of some person/department who will do something about it? Agents just saying 'sorry I see the same thing' and then not passing it upchain is rather legacy airline-like.
Is this issue being brought to the attention of some person/department who will do something about it? Agents just saying 'sorry I see the same thing' and then not passing it upchain is rather legacy airline-like.
Oct 9, 2016, 11:04 am
#9
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: YVR
Programs: Aeroplan, British Airways, Alaska
Posts: 249
I am trying to book LAX-DXB on Jan 23 in First Class
Expert Flyer and Alaskaair both show availability but I can't book it online or by phoning in.
Any advice on how to book this award?
Expert Flyer and Alaskaair both show availability but I can't book it online or by phoning in.
Any advice on how to book this award?
Oct 10, 2016, 2:05 pm
#10
Join Date: Nov 2014
Programs: AS MVP Gold 75K
Posts: 102
I had the exact same issue booking Hainan last week. Tried a couple of different days (sun/mon) and no matter what I did, I could never get it to book. Called the partner line and they were zero assistance. Just about had given up and tried again friday evening, and it booked right away.
Only suggestion I have is to try again on a different day...
Only suggestion I have is to try again on a different day...
Oct 10, 2016, 5:50 pm
#11
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 11
Yes and no. Reps have both booking system and website. Their system will show similar things compared to the website for most partners' awards booking, except CX. You need to call the reservation line in order to secure CX J or F. If that rep doesn't see the space, try alternative dates, still can't see it? say thank you and hang up. Call again at different times will yield different results. Happy hunting!!!
Oct 10, 2016, 5:52 pm
#12
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 11
Trying to book partner award flights with my miles. After entering all my information and getting to the final payment screen, it returns an error.
So I phone up the partner award desk. They say there is availability, they try to book, and after about 20 minutes come back that it can't. So we try different days, it looks promising, then after 20 minutes more typing, waiting etc. nothing. An hour down and no luck.
Online shows availability, but at payment no availability. Phone they say its available, but then it returns an error.
And I have this problem when booking AA, Delta, BA, Cathay, Emirates, Hainan.
Any suggestions? Any tips to weed out what is phantom and what might actually be bookable. Anythings I can suggest an agent can try?
So I phone up the partner award desk. They say there is availability, they try to book, and after about 20 minutes come back that it can't. So we try different days, it looks promising, then after 20 minutes more typing, waiting etc. nothing. An hour down and no luck.
Online shows availability, but at payment no availability. Phone they say its available, but then it returns an error.
And I have this problem when booking AA, Delta, BA, Cathay, Emirates, Hainan.
Any suggestions? Any tips to weed out what is phantom and what might actually be bookable. Anythings I can suggest an agent can try?
Dec 23, 2016, 12:47 am
#14
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 243
I have been trying to book an award ticket LAX-XMN/PVG/HKG/TPE for the last three days. I tried all those airports, and on KE, JL, HU. Same error message. This is the first time I am booking their international partners with miles. Very frustrating.
May 30, 2017, 1:24 pm
#15
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott/SPG Platinum
Posts: 496
error message:
The request was not successful. See the red message(s) below. Space on partner flights cannot be confirmed. Please change the dates, cities, or flights of your original request.
-1620
To continue, shop again for other fare and flight options.If this problem continues, please call 1-800-ALASKAAIR (1-800-252-7522) for other fare and flight options.
Last edited by coolguy100; May 30, 2017 at 2:02 pm