flyguy6

DP: After much difficulty dealing with un-bookable space I could see online but would error out on last checkout page, I was finally able to book 2J ticket from LAX-NAN in Aug 2024. I can see e-ticket number and got confirmation email so believe it went through. I booked each seat under a separate reservation and each time AS site accurately update the space was taken. Next I need to find flight onward to CHC after a stop over. Doesn't look like can can do that online so will call in.

AS does have a direct flight from PHX-LAX so will also need to book position flight unless SFO-NAN space opens up.

Best of luck to everyone trying to lock in this sweet spot before AS devalues it.

bballyork

I tried booking any combination of SFO/LAX to AKL and/or AKL to SFO/LAX for about 6 weeks, 3-4 times a day for dates in October 2024, always seeing availability and every time it would say unable to reach partner when I'd check out. Tried multiple attempts at reaching out to Alaska and they never could help me out. Glad to hear someone was able to book something!

navigator4309

Adding another data point here reinforcing that it seems something remains seriously broken with Alaska redeeming on Fiji.

I've booked many trips with AS miles on FJ from Australia to the US via Fiji in the past and while availability has always been fairly limited, I'd never had problems getting the itinerary to ticket when availability did show up on AS' website.

Last week, naively believing I'd have no problem, I bought a few thousand miles to book a SYD-NAN-LAX ticket only to get the dreaded error at the last step. I couldn't get a single available combination to ticket, and there appeared to be availability on the same flights through American and Qantas. I finally called in a few times and despite two agents seeming to make a genuine effort, they confirmed nothing was actually showing available on their end to LAX, SFO, or YVR. I asked about SABRE and long selling and the one agent who knew what I was talking about said she couldn't do it. I finally gave up and fortunately they refunded the miles purchase I'd just made, but a real pity in the end.

Devaluation doesn't mean anything where there's zero value to be derived from the "better" rates.

Gold_Member

I’m reliably informed by an experienced Partner Airlines agent at AS that this is the fault of the operating carrier, Fiji Airlines. Their system has not refreshed the inventory and hence it remains visible to all of their partners as available. The refresh issue can last for days, weeks and months. Apparently Korean Air are the absolute worst at refreshing their inventory to partners with some inventory showing up incorrectly for almost the full schedule.

If we have to call up to manually check every FJ award (which isn’t available anyway), I think I’ll just cop the deval and move on. Snagging premium long haul awards was never easy but this just pushes me over he edge.

navigator4309

I recognise I'm not in a position to know better, but what that still doesn't explain is why those same flights seem to be bookable and can be successfully ticketed via other programmes. In my case, for example, I finally gave up after a week of efforts with AS (including to try to book flights as new dates came onto the schedule 11 months in advance) and was able to book one of the same set of flights via Qantas and it ticketed immediately. That would seem to suggest it's more than a simple refresh issue on Fiji's end --- specifically either that availability isn't actually allotted to Alaska for whatever reason or Alaska's IT system isn't able to successfully confirm and ticket the seats if it is.

thomas22

i don't know what i am doing wrong but i can't seem to select business (or first) in the filter results. i always get the red circle with a slash through when trying to select. i understand business may not be available but you would think it would at least try to do a mixed booking.or then tell you it is unavailable, but i can't even seem to do a search.

thomas22

still no success for me on my laptop. Tried the app only get some KE flights where only flight SEA to ICN is in business. Tried fiji website I don't see an option to use miles (maybe have to be logged in), cash prices were over $12,000 for many flights for just the international portions. So are fiji business flights no longer available with AS miles? Why can't I get the website to give me ANY business options?

olouie

Fiji website won’t help use Alaska miles. Have to use Alaska site or app. Fiji also dumps business awards randomly few times a year and then it’s pretty much zero for the rest of the time.

lensovet

i think you've found your answer?

there's a bunch of random availability if you know where to look. i just snagged a single seat in August.

boxo

Data point: I booked 40k SFO NAN BNE in Y and 55k AKL NAN (3-night stopover) SFO in J for October/November two nights ago. The J return availability on Nov 2 and 5 no longer shows.

I was really hoping to find both in J and in the reverse order of SFO NAN stopover, visiting NZ, then departing BNE for home, but I'm happy to arrive in BNE just in time for a DO. And I'll swap AKL for WLG if by some miracle it becomes available before March 1st.

Oh, and I discovered why the first two weeks of October were a no-go - their national Fiji Day holiday is October 10.

Mwenenzi

Welcome back when you get to AU_NZ.
FJ also fly's from CHC.
How are you getting from AU to NZ. (~3:30hr flight) A lot of options with paid tickets on a range of airline to/from many airports.

boxo

Thank you. Will I see you in BNE or CHC?

NZ restored expired COVID credits, so I've nearly got NZ$500 to leave BNE and an intra-NZ flight. Yes, I will also be checking for NZ BNE CHC and FJ WLG/CHC NAN. I'd rather not have to go to/from AKL at all.

boxo

FYI, 55K J available:

NAN SFO Sep 26 and Oct 1
NAN LAX Oct 1

lovefly88

Thanks for the post!! I’ve just started looking at availability over the weekend. Does FJ ever release 2 seats on a flight or generally only one? Same q for QF.

Thanks again.

boxo

Sorry, no idea. I am a party of one. Hopefully someone else can chime in to answer your question.