Expertflyer availability on JAL but not on alaska website?
Sep 7, 2019, 6:35 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2018
Programs: Alaska
Posts: 5
Expertflyer availability on JAL but not on alaska website?
Probably a noob questions, I don't get on here much. Just checked expertflyer for a JAL flight out of LAX that shows 5 award seats in first class, while on alaska I can only book economy (business and first both listed as unavailable). Is expertflyer even useful in this partner award situations, or only if I'm booking directly with the carrier?
Sep 7, 2019, 6:43 pm
#2
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: British Columbia
Programs: AS MVPG100K, Marriott Marriott Titanium Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 7,263
Probably a noob questions, I don't get on here much. Just checked expertflyer for a JAL flight out of LAX that shows 5 award seats in first class, while on alaska I can only book economy (business and first both listed as unavailable). Is expertflyer even useful in this partner award situations, or only if I'm booking directly with the carrier?
James
Sep 7, 2019, 6:47 pm
#3
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,369
For at least most FF programs, EF shows (low) award seats available with the carrier's own miles. Alliance and bilateral partners can have more limited availability. JAL probably sets aside some of its premium cabin award seats for participants or elites in its own FF program. Also, EF shows availability on a segment by segment basis which is not necessarily the same as when you search for a through fare with connecting flights (married segment logic).
There should be some help information available online on EF's website that defines terms and classes for the data they do display.
In fact, if you can search availability of JAL award seats online on the AS website for award tickets using AS miles, there's really no reason to try to do this on EF, although EF can sometimes be useful if you can set alerts for the award seats you want or if you can more easily do preliminary searches for potential availability more quickly.
There should be some help information available online on EF's website that defines terms and classes for the data they do display.
In fact, if you can search availability of JAL award seats online on the AS website for award tickets using AS miles, there's really no reason to try to do this on EF, although EF can sometimes be useful if you can set alerts for the award seats you want or if you can more easily do preliminary searches for potential availability more quickly.
Sep 7, 2019, 7:10 pm
#4
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Pacific Wonderland
Programs: ʙᴏɴᴠo̱ʏ Au, IHG Au, HH Dia, Nexus, Pilot FlyingJ Preferred
Posts: 5,336
I believe Award Nexus or KVS will show availability. There's a whole thread the OP might want to delve into for such questions.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/alas...ing-miles.html
ETA: another factor may be when the OP is searching. Beginning of schedule opens earlier for JL and certain other partners than AS.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/alas...ing-miles.html
ETA: another factor may be when the OP is searching. Beginning of schedule opens earlier for JL and certain other partners than AS.
Sep 8, 2019, 4:49 am
#5
Join Date: Nov 2013
Programs: NZ
Posts: 1,548
You can't check JL award availability on ExpertFlyer ... or am I missing something?
Sep 8, 2019, 8:20 pm
#6
Left Expert Flyer 4/23
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,741
Probably a noob questions, I don't get on here much. Just checked expertflyer for a JAL flight out of LAX that shows 5 award seats in first class, while on alaska I can only book economy (business and first both listed as unavailable). Is expertflyer even useful in this partner award situations, or only if I'm booking directly with the carrier?
Sep 9, 2019, 9:11 pm
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,932
Probably a noob questions, I don't get on here much. Just checked expertflyer for a JAL flight out of LAX that shows 5 award seats in first class, while on alaska I can only book economy (business and first both listed as unavailable). Is expertflyer even useful in this partner award situations, or only if I'm booking directly with the carrier?
So there's no universality about fare code letters. You have to know what the letters mean for each specific airline, you can't use what they mean at some other airline as a guide.
And when redeeming awards for a partner airline, and wanting know if that partner has awards available, it's the partner airline's codes that matter, not the redeeming airline's codes.
Sep 13, 2019, 10:16 am
#8
Moderator: Alaska Mileage Plan
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 12,307
Moderator Note: Since JL award availability is not available on Expert Flyer, we'll close the thread.
dayone, AS Moderator
dayone, AS Moderator