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Help to check seat availability and flight loads

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Old Jan 1, 2014, 6:10 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: NWIFlyer
If you wish to request availability for a specific flight, please state the date and origin/departure airport codes, not just the flight number.

Please also restrict requests to BA/oneworld flights - flights for other airlines may be removed to avoid cluttering the thread and taking it away from BAEC.


As of 15 Oct 2014 flightstats.com no longer displays flight availability.

Fare class availability can be queried in various ways*:

        * Please update wiki if you know of any others.
        ** Origin of data concealed


        What do the codes mean?
        Suppose we have a result as F1 A0 J9 C7 D0 RC IC W9 E9 T4 Y9 BC HC ...

        This means:
        There is 1 seat in the F bucket for sale
        There are 0 seats in the A and D bucket for sale, but you can join the waitlist in case seats get released later.
        There are at least 9 seats in the J, W, E and Y buckets.
        The R, I, B and H buckets are closed to waitlisting.

        There are two important things to note about how to interpret these numbers that many people don't understand as it is very counter intuitive:
        1) There is NO direct relation to the actual number of seats available on the specific flight. They only mean that the airline is willing to sell this many seats on that specific flight. The airline may intend to oversell seats or withhold seats from sale for many reasons.

        2) In the example above, the results show W9 E9 T4 (which are all WT+ buckets). This does not mean that there are 9+9+4=22 seats for sale. Interpret these numbers as "there are at least 9 seats for sale in WT+". There could really be anywhere between 9 and 22 seats for sale - we just can't tell from the numbers the system gives us. Therefore, the conservative approach of assuming that there are at least 9 seats for sale is usually the best one.

        What does the "C" mean?
        Closed to waitlisting.
        In the example above we have RC, IC, BC and HC. This is different to A0 and D0: The A and D buckets are "full" but you can apply to join their waitlists (if your fare permits waitlisting). With R, I, B and H you cannot even request a seat.

        The carrier will determine how to confirm your seat if it wishes. Sometimes this may happen immediately, other times only a few minutes before the flight's departure. The order of the waitlist is determined by the carrier privately, but your Executive Club status will push you towards the front of the queue. Many cheap fares do not allow waitlisting.

        Differences for non-BA airlines
        • Some carriers (those using Sabre such as AA) only show a maximum of 7 available seats (not 9). Others only show a maximum of 5.
        • Some carriers use "L" instead of "0" (e.g., CL DL YL) to indicate you may waitlist for the seat. This tends to happen when the entire flight is on a list basis.
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        Help to check seat availability and flight loads

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        Old Nov 22, 2014, 5:45 am
          #196  
         
        Join Date: Nov 2010
        Location: nr Chichester, UK
        Posts: 69
        Please could some kind person please check the loads for
        BA0297 LHR-ORD 29.11.14

        I'm in a Y window seat with the B seat free.
        There is an OK exit seat available for £55, which I might take if Y was heaving.
        The flight is usually full as there is a huge conference starting in Chicago the next day.

        Thanks
        max1304 is offline  
        Old Nov 22, 2014, 6:21 am
          #197  
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        Originally Posted by ajws_83
        thanks very much! So Y looks very busy, W nearly so and BA are happy to sell a lot of J&F tickets...considering J looks full on the seat map, i guess they are expecting lots of no-shows/last minute changes...?
        Dozens of flights to NYC so people can be rerouted if needs be.
        Calchas is offline  
        Old Nov 22, 2014, 6:24 am
          #198  
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        Originally Posted by max1304
        BA0297 LHR-ORD 29.11.14
        ...
        There is an OK exit seat available for £55, which I might take if Y was heaving.
        It is absolutely heaving. You could not buy any Y fare on this flight at the moment, nor could you buy 3 seats at once in any cabin.
        Globaliser is offline  
        Old Nov 22, 2014, 6:40 am
          #199  
         
        Join Date: Nov 2010
        Location: nr Chichester, UK
        Posts: 69
        Thanks Globaliser.
        So shall I pay for 37A/H/K - more knee room, narrower seat, near the bogs or stick with 29A (potential baby zone, hemmed in)
        Decisions, decisions...
        max1304 is offline  
        Old Nov 22, 2014, 7:07 am
          #200  
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        I know very little about the 777s but I did find this photo: http://www.airliners.net/photo/Briti...N-ER/2492928/L
        Globaliser is offline  
        Old Nov 22, 2014, 10:42 am
          #201  
         
        Join Date: Nov 2010
        Location: nr Chichester, UK
        Posts: 69
        Help to check seat availability and flight loads | 2014 master thread

        I've gone for 39H and shall glare at those intruding on 'my' space whilst waiting for the lavs.
        It's a day flight & I'm coming back in CW so I'll survive the experience.
        Interestingly, despite the 'no more than 3 seats' mentioned above, my colleagues travelling with me have been offered POUG to WT+ for £179
        max1304 is offline  
        Old Nov 22, 2014, 1:49 pm
          #202  
         
        Join Date: Nov 2014
        Location: Essex
        Programs: BA Gold; Hilton Diamond; IHG Spire Ambassador,
        Posts: 93
        Hi All,

        Could some please kind soul check the BA285 LHR-SFO on the 4th Dec for me?

        Many thanks
        FDX Traveller is offline  
        Old Nov 22, 2014, 2:01 pm
          #203  
         
        Join Date: Oct 2011
        Posts: 4,964
        .....

        Last edited by angatol; Feb 28, 2015 at 11:48 pm
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        Old Nov 22, 2014, 2:04 pm
          #204  
         
        Join Date: Nov 2014
        Location: Essex
        Programs: BA Gold; Hilton Diamond; IHG Spire Ambassador,
        Posts: 93
        Thanks angatol,

        Thankfully no, and thankfully there is now some availability too
        And being new to this just to confirm theres currently 9 available in club and 1 in Econ?
        FDX Traveller is offline  
        Old Nov 22, 2014, 2:09 pm
          #205  
         
        Join Date: Oct 2011
        Posts: 4,964
        .....

        Last edited by angatol; Feb 28, 2015 at 10:14 pm
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        Old Nov 22, 2014, 2:43 pm
          #206  
         
        Join Date: Nov 2014
        Location: Essex
        Programs: BA Gold; Hilton Diamond; IHG Spire Ambassador,
        Posts: 93
        Thats what I am guessing to and also what friends have said. Fingers crossed it doesn't mean the J9's don't disappear now!!
        FDX Traveller is offline  
        Old Nov 22, 2014, 3:45 pm
          #207  
         
        Join Date: Nov 2011
        Location: Netherlands
        Programs: BA Gold; Flying Blue Platinum, Hilton Diamond
        Posts: 481
        Please would someone be kind enough to let me know the loads for BA297 LHR-ORD on 7th Dec

        Many thanks
        silonic is offline  
        Old Nov 22, 2014, 3:57 pm
          #208  
         
        Join Date: Oct 2011
        Posts: 4,964
        .....

        Last edited by angatol; Feb 28, 2015 at 11:15 pm
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        Old Nov 22, 2014, 3:58 pm
          #209  
         
        Join Date: Oct 2011
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        .....

        Last edited by angatol; Feb 28, 2015 at 10:40 pm
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        Old Nov 22, 2014, 5:42 pm
          #210  
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        Originally Posted by FDX Traveller
        Thats what I am guessing to and also what friends have said. Fingers crossed it doesn't mean the J9's don't disappear now!!
        That flight looks sold out to me. J9 suggests they will happily offload/reroute other people on the flight in exchange for your J tickets.
        Calchas is offline  


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