SQ Availability
 

I have read many times on here that to check SQ availability you need to phone ICC.

However, on KVS some SQ flights show availability and some do not.

Do I still need to call ICC or is KVS accurate?

thank you,

Gordie

77W and 380 flights only available through Pune so you need to call up

thank you Tiger_lily, much appreciated

KVS uses ANA as it's data source. ANA don't even bother to check for availability on the 388, 77W and 345 - it will always return "not available" rather than "full" as soon as it sees those aircraft.

For any other SQ aircraft type, KVS/ANA is more reliable. There is always the chance that BD has access to extra inventory on 772/330/etc, but I don't know if we've much evidence for that either way.

I managed to get an SQ 773 SYD-SIN flight.
I guess this is the new regional C instead of the A388 C product.
Anyway, I don't mind as it is a day flight.

If you are using the [Awards/AC-StarAlliance] Method in the KVS Tool, there should be no need to call ICC.

Actually, there are 3 different data sources for SQ Award Availability within the KVS Tool, 2 of which fully support Award Availability on SQ 388/77W/345 aircraft.

Blocked SQ 388/77W/345 seats are shown using a special indicator (~), as a further reminder to select a different Method.

BD has far more premium SQ availability than any of the many online tools. You have to call to find out though.

As Savage25 says, none of which accurately reflect the extra availability you can book through BD. However, KVS and the like are still useful - if they say yes, then you should be good to go. If KVS says no, try phoning the ICC - there's a reasonable chance that Pune will be able to find you something.

Exactly - BD definitely has access to more inventory than KVS shows and I think making sweeping statements in this regard is a touch misleading! :P

Also even some flights that are clearly available on ANA (and thus KVS) and also to the ICC aren't bookable! I've got the open@flybmi team looking into one such example for me - tried multiple agents, they could see availablility each time but then were never able to select the seats.

As mentioned previously, the KVS Tool incorporates 3 different sources of SQ Award Availability, including the expanded Award Availability that is accessible to SQ's own FFP members. It is extremely unlikely that the expanded BD DC availability (if any) will be more favourable than that.

Speaking of which, has there actually been any official conformation of its existence?

Actually, it is more extensive on certain routes and certain times. No official statement in writing, but a number of members have had it confirmed via DC (Pre Travel Support and the ICC) that there is special inventory.

Similarly at times when I have spoken to the ICC for inventory, it has been in excess of what was available to SQ members. Very unusual, but for whatever reason a deal has been put in place and DC members are benefiting from it.

Indeed. Presumably the 3 KVS sources are just Aeroplan, ANA (ANA login reqd), KrisFlyer (KrisFlyer login required). As noted elsewhere on this thread what BD have available does not always correlate with these although often seems to be better - the only way to know for sure is (sadly) by calling the ICC. I don't dispute KVS can be useful for certain patterns of award searching but it is ultimately screen-scraping the other sites so it's not like it's doing something magical, it's just providing a nice interface to do so :D

[mod] This thread is not going to descend in to a contest. So let's all leave it alone, eh? [/mod]



There is ample evidence on this board - available for everyone to read - that the inventory avaiable to members calling the ICC does not match the availability shown on any online tool.

And I can also confirm, citing 'sources close to bmi', as we say in this part of the world, that there has been a change in the inventory set made available.

End of story.