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
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.
Help to check seat availability and flight loads
#5282
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Glasgow
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 531
Please could someone check BA 1487 GLA - LHR on 17/6.
Thanks
Thanks
#5283
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
Programs: Lufthansa , British Airways, IHG, Hilton, Marriott
Posts: 161
#5286
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,145
Quick help please
I'm on a GDS so the seat map won't copy and paste - but nabbing a J Class seat (F not being sold but cabin showing - with ALL seats blocked out) - what would you mean as better seats? i.e. 12/13/14D-G showing available, and 13 A,B,J,K showing on way out.
Very similar on return. Let me know if specific seats you had in mind I can check.
Very similar on return. Let me know if specific seats you had in mind I can check.
21 Jun BA2256 ANU-LGW
Suddenly MMB is showing the F cabin available in MMB for selection! Although we're in J.
Last help here had a fairly light load, so I'm guessing the display of the F cabin is just a<nother> IT glitch.
the last thing we want to do is re-allocate ourselves to the F cabin, losing our half-decent J seats, and then find we're scattered all over the J cabin [which has happened to us before].
Gold Line lady seems puzzled. Any clues here, please?
#5287
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 2,676
14 Jun BA2157 LGW-ANU
21 Jun BA2256 ANU-LGW
Suddenly MMB is showing the F cabin available in MMB for selection! Although we're in J.
Last help here had a fairly light load, so I'm guessing the display of the F cabin is just a<nother> IT glitch.
the last thing we want to do is re-allocate ourselves to the F cabin, losing our half-decent J seats, and then find we're scattered all over the J cabin [which has happened to us before].
Gold Line lady seems puzzled. Any clues here, please?
21 Jun BA2256 ANU-LGW
Suddenly MMB is showing the F cabin available in MMB for selection! Although we're in J.
Last help here had a fairly light load, so I'm guessing the display of the F cabin is just a<nother> IT glitch.
the last thing we want to do is re-allocate ourselves to the F cabin, losing our half-decent J seats, and then find we're scattered all over the J cabin [which has happened to us before].
Gold Line lady seems puzzled. Any clues here, please?
It's risk/reward right ... the only business seats remaining are middles and middle aisles - so moving forward to get moved back is a risk.
#5288
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,145
According to the ba source - there are 4 777s at LGW that have an F cabin (G-VIIV->Y) - so it's entirely possible it's simple a configuration swap and F as J is right.
It's risk/reward right ... the only business seats remaining are middles and middle aisles - so moving forward to get moved back is a risk.
It's risk/reward right ... the only business seats remaining are middles and middle aisles - so moving forward to get moved back is a risk.
Many thanks ... I'll keep tracking.
Last edited by NWIFlyer; Jun 12, 2017 at 1:03 pm Reason: Remove reference to WW money comment - rule 16
#5289
Join Date: Oct 2015
Programs: BA Gold for Life
Posts: 1,390
That was our perception too. With middles still available, 36 hours out, it seems strange to consider opening the F cabin for J peasants! I could guess that light load in J allows them to use one of the 12 J airframes if it's not needed elsewhere. Light load = less fuel burn = more ****** money.
Many thanks ... I'll keep tracking.
Many thanks ... I'll keep tracking.
#5290
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,145
The lady on the Gold Line was talking about 'extra crew' if F was opened, so I would guess that would be BA's last resort!
OLCI tomorrow morning at 0705 [for the JER-LGW leg] ... I'll try to find out how things are then.
#5291
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: West Coast USA
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 559
Please can someone check BA282 LAX-LHR 6/29/17.
#5292
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 2,574
Could go either way I'd say - but it could easily end up that the J cabin is packed full with you in sub optimal seats if they can squeeze everyone in without using F . I'd probably wait until the airport. As a Gold you could pro-actively be reseated in the F cabin manually also
#5293
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,145
Oh, well. OLCI completed successfully. If they want to move us, they'll tear up the BPs or just scribble on them with new seat numbers. It's happened to us a few times at LGW
#5294
Join Date: Nov 2016
Programs: UA*S, AA Plat, HH Diamond, Bonvoy Gold, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 256