Apr 1, 2016, 1:44 pm
Last edit by: Prospero
AA and ExpertFlyer Issues, Questions
Please keep this thread strictly related to AA and ExpertFlyer
For general questions about ExpertFlyer, please use ExpertFlyer.com Help Desk thread
If you are an ExpertFlyer customer or have questions about the product, you may email customercare <at> expertflyer.com, or you can mention <at>ExpertFlyer Voice, the EF representative on FT.
NOTE: This wikipost is locked
Please keep this thread strictly related to AA and ExpertFlyer
For general questions about ExpertFlyer, please use ExpertFlyer.com Help Desk thread
If you are an ExpertFlyer customer or have questions about the product, you may email customercare <at> expertflyer.com, or you can mention <at>ExpertFlyer Voice, the EF representative on FT.
NOTE: This wikipost is locked
AA and ExpertFlyer "Expert Flyer" issues, questions (master thread)
Mar 9, 2019, 7:35 am
#241
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: CLT
Programs: AA EXP; Avis PC; Hertz PC; Marriott LT Gold; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,133
@ExpertFlyer Voice should bring attention to this, but you can also use ExpertFlyer.com Help Desk Thread
Mar 10, 2019, 6:53 pm
#242
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: UA 1K and PP, AA PPro (3MM, former CK), Marriott Ambassador and LTT, Uber One
Posts: 1,348
For the second time within the last couple of weeks, EF has shown inventory availability that CK agents insist isn't available for sale. Today I was looking at a flight pair that had J3, D3, I2, and the agent insisted that it wasn't available for sale, and was only able to price out D. Has anyone else seen this?
Last edited by ikwia; Mar 10, 2019 at 7:05 pm
Mar 10, 2019, 7:32 pm
#243
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,600
For the second time within the last couple of weeks, EF has shown inventory availability that CK agents insist isn't available for sale. Today I was looking at a flight pair that had J3, D3, I2, and the agent insisted that it wasn't available for sale, and was only able to price out D. Has anyone else seen this?
Also, are you using the same point of sale as the region where you are calling AA
Mar 10, 2019, 9:09 pm
#244
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,234
For the second time within the last couple of weeks, EF has shown inventory availability that CK agents insist isn't available for sale. Today I was looking at a flight pair that had J3, D3, I2, and the agent insisted that it wasn't available for sale, and was only able to price out D. Has anyone else seen this?
Mar 11, 2019, 12:25 am
#245
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: UA 1K and PP, AA PPro (3MM, former CK), Marriott Ambassador and LTT, Uber One
Posts: 1,348
are you doing a journey that is just that single sector to destination or is there a connecting flight. If the latter, if you check for availability for the whole journey in EF, does it show the same availability
Also, are you using the same point of sale as the region where you are calling AA
Also, are you using the same point of sale as the region where you are calling AA
Mar 11, 2019, 12:27 am
#246
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: UA 1K and PP, AA PPro (3MM, former CK), Marriott Ambassador and LTT, Uber One
Posts: 1,348
Mar 11, 2019, 12:37 am
#247
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,600
Just becuase there may not be a fare for a specific booking class on a A-B booking , there may be passengers taking the A-B flight part of a longer itinerary for which that booking class is used
I don't know which route you are doing, but for example in AU, for SYD-MEL, QF has no published I class fare normally, however someone could purchase a LHR-MEL ticket in I class and travel via Sydney. In this case, the I class avalability on SYD-MEL is needed
Mar 11, 2019, 7:10 am
#248
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: UA 1K and PP, AA PPro (3MM, former CK), Marriott Ambassador and LTT, Uber One
Posts: 1,348
Yes, I understand that scenario. But in that case, I am used to seeing the availability in each fare bucket adjusted based on the full routing, based on married segment concept (and perhaps other factors). In searches, I often see different availability in the buckets for the same segment, depending on how it is paired with other segments.
Mar 11, 2019, 8:10 am
#249
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,234
Sounds like you need to read ExpertFlyer's EduGuide: "Understanding How to Use ExpertFlyer to Your Advantage" which can be found here: https://www.expertflyer.com/expertflyer-support
This is EF 101.
Without knowing the specific dates and routing you are searching, we really can't help you anymore beyond this.
Mar 11, 2019, 8:48 am
#250
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: UA 1K and PP, AA PPro (3MM, former CK), Marriott Ambassador and LTT, Uber One
Posts: 1,348
Without knowing the specific dates and routing you are searching, we really can't help you anymore beyond this.
Mar 11, 2019, 9:06 am
#251
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,234
Here’s an example. Look at MCO-CLT-SAT on 15 March, AA667 and AA2692. Ok the availability just changed so now it is showing H1 and it will sell that. A few minutes ago it was showing availability in Y and B but not H, but the app wouldn’t sell the flight at all, even though there is clearly a Y fare available. But it is still showing I, but I is not available for sale. I don’t see a fare for I, but I also don’t see one for D, although I can book into D on the app.
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But FC is showing J/D/I availability on both legs.
However, as you state there is no fare currently published that books into "I" inventory that is valid for this flight (they probably all had advance purchase requirements of 7+ days, and possibly required round/trip purchase).
There are, however, fares that books into "D" inventory: K0AIZRD1, H0AHZND1, and H0AIZRD1. However, the first also requires K inventory to be available, and the second two require H inventory (2nd is nonrefundable, 3rd is refundable), so, without checking AA.com, I suspect you probably wouldn't be able to book those flights now (it would kick you up to a J fare most likely).
Mar 11, 2019, 9:17 am
#252
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: UA 1K and PP, AA PPro (3MM, former CK), Marriott Ambassador and LTT, Uber One
Posts: 1,348
Thanks for the reply, that was helpful. I had only been looking for fares with a booking class of D, not fares that book into D...my bad. And actually, right now, AA doesn’t even show that routing when you search, even if you specify Business/First explicitly.
Mar 17, 2019, 7:38 pm
#253
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: San Francisco
Programs: AA EXP; Marriott BonVoy Titanium Elite, Marriott LT Plat.
Posts: 1,717
Has AA gone stealth with releasing C? Three weeks ago I didn't the EF alert for my upgrade but 48 hours prior to the flight I was upgraded (LAX-HKG). Just last night, I check my flight at 1 AM just for the heck of it. No upgrade. The 8 hours later, I see that I was upgraded for my return.
My thoughts are they are discouraging people from perhaps jumping the queue and quietly processing the upgrade list before they " publish" C space.
My thoughts are they are discouraging people from perhaps jumping the queue and quietly processing the upgrade list before they " publish" C space.
Mar 18, 2019, 3:03 am
#254
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: San Francisco
Programs: AA EXP; Marriott BonVoy Titanium Elite, Marriott LT Plat.
Posts: 1,717
Has AA gone stealth with releasing C? Three weeks ago I didn't the EF alert for my upgrade but 48 hours prior to the flight I was upgraded (LAX-HKG). Just last night, I check my flight at 1 AM just for the heck of it. No upgrade. The 8 hours later, I see that I was upgraded for my return.
My thoughts are they are discouraging people from perhaps jumping the queue and quietly processing the upgrade list before they " publish" C space.
My thoughts are they are discouraging people from perhaps jumping the queue and quietly processing the upgrade list before they " publish" C space.
Ok... I stan corrected... It's now approx 8 hours after my SWU cleared for tomorrow's flight (HKG-LAX) and now I get EF alert letting me know there's C space on the flight. So Just for kicks, I log into EF and see that there are 3 C spots available. And now eight of the 13 open seats are now available when I looked this morning.
Has anyone seen this flight go out with an empty seat ever?
Mar 21, 2019, 12:47 pm
#255
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: COU
Programs: AA EXP, Bonvoy Ambassador, Hertz PC
Posts: 499
Is EF inventory still real-time (or close to it) in the last few minutes before a flight?
I was on ORD-LAX last week and second on the upgrade list; it showed J2. I approached the GA at T-10min and asked if she had processed the list. She said she hadn't...I said something like "OK, well let me know...looks like it's J2 and I'm second on your list" and she immediately (without looking at anything) said "oh, no you'll be 3rd now, there's someone else ahead of you that isn't on there." I of course reacted incredulously to that, which caused her to change her story to "somebody just bought a full fare J ticket at the airport ticketing counter." My response was "uh, I'm looking at your inventory and it still says J2" but that just kicked off an accusatory conversation like I'm not supposed to have that information. In any case, she only cleared one person off the list, and they did indeed fill all the seats. I'm still suspicious (paranoid?) that they snuck some friend in, but obviously I have no way of knowing.
So I guess my question is, how far can I trust EF in a situation like this? Is her story (full-fare in-airport purchase that didn't deplete the EF inventory) plausible? I know that I've been on the phone booking a flight with AMEX and I can refresh my search and see the inventory depleted immediately. But then I also know that the flight in question still showed J2 after they cleared the gate upgrade, so it wasn't accurate at that point.
I was on ORD-LAX last week and second on the upgrade list; it showed J2. I approached the GA at T-10min and asked if she had processed the list. She said she hadn't...I said something like "OK, well let me know...looks like it's J2 and I'm second on your list" and she immediately (without looking at anything) said "oh, no you'll be 3rd now, there's someone else ahead of you that isn't on there." I of course reacted incredulously to that, which caused her to change her story to "somebody just bought a full fare J ticket at the airport ticketing counter." My response was "uh, I'm looking at your inventory and it still says J2" but that just kicked off an accusatory conversation like I'm not supposed to have that information. In any case, she only cleared one person off the list, and they did indeed fill all the seats. I'm still suspicious (paranoid?) that they snuck some friend in, but obviously I have no way of knowing.
So I guess my question is, how far can I trust EF in a situation like this? Is her story (full-fare in-airport purchase that didn't deplete the EF inventory) plausible? I know that I've been on the phone booking a flight with AMEX and I can refresh my search and see the inventory depleted immediately. But then I also know that the flight in question still showed J2 after they cleared the gate upgrade, so it wasn't accurate at that point.