UUA CW to F - likelihood to Barbados
Feb 2, 2015, 6:14 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 74
UUA CW to F - likelihood to Barbados
We are booked in CW to fly to BGI on 14 March and I'm wondering if there is any likelihood that we might be able to UUA to F? There isn't any availability right now but are there sometimes opportunities closer to the time?
Feb 2, 2015, 6:19 am
#3
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: UK (MAN)
Programs: BAEC - Gold, VS - Silver, Hilton Gold, IHG Platinum Elite, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 248
Finger crossed for you, I'm flying out on that route on the 1st of March and had to get in 355 days before. They'd gone a few days later according to my checking. I think it must be peak time but the guy I spoke with at the call centre recently told me that he expects some seats to open up in March as loads looked favourable.
I had it coming back from UVF last year. Was praying for the seat to open up but it never did. When I got to the airport, I understood why. Overbooked.
Good luck!!
I had it coming back from UVF last year. Was praying for the seat to open up but it never did. When I got to the airport, I understood why. Overbooked.
Good luck!!
Feb 2, 2015, 6:54 am
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: SE1, London
Posts: 23,419
My view is that seats are more likely to open close to departure on routes where demand is dynamic with last minute bookings and cancellations. BGI is a leisure route so the revenue management monkeys are probably better able to predict demand and ration space accordingly.
Feb 2, 2015, 7:00 am
#6
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: GGL/CCR
Posts: 1,899
Not as bad as it could be for 2 F seats...
Code:
Outbound seats available on: 17/2/15 (Tuesday) 9/8/15 (Sunday) 15/8/15 (Saturday) 16/8/15 (Sunday) 17/8/15 (Monday) 18/8/15 (Tuesday) 20/8/15 (Thursday) 23/8/15 (Sunday) 24/8/15 (Monday) 26/8/15 (Wednesday) 30/8/15 (Sunday) 1/9/15 (Tuesday) 2/9/15 (Wednesday) 3/9/15 (Thursday) 4/9/15 (Friday) 5/9/15 (Saturday) 6/9/15 (Sunday) 7/9/15 (Monday) 10/9/15 (Thursday) 13/9/15 (Sunday) 14/9/15 (Monday) 17/9/15 (Thursday) 18/9/15 (Friday) 19/9/15 (Saturday) 20/9/15 (Sunday) 21/9/15 (Monday) 23/9/15 (Wednesday) 25/9/15 (Friday) 27/9/15 (Sunday) 14/10/15 (Wednesday) 10/1/16 (Sunday) 13/1/16 (Wednesday) 17/1/16 (Sunday) 18/1/16 (Monday) 19/1/16 (Tuesday) 20/1/16 (Wednesday) Return seats available on: 13/6/15 (Saturday) 7/7/15 (Tuesday) 7/9/15 (Monday) 10/9/15 (Thursday) 11/9/15 (Friday) 12/9/15 (Saturday) 13/9/15 (Sunday) 14/9/15 (Monday) 16/9/15 (Wednesday) 17/9/15 (Thursday) 18/9/15 (Friday) 21/9/15 (Monday) 23/9/15 (Wednesday) 24/9/15 (Thursday) 25/9/15 (Friday) 27/9/15 (Sunday) 1/10/15 (Thursday) 2/10/15 (Friday) 4/10/15 (Sunday) 6/10/15 (Tuesday) 7/10/15 (Wednesday) 13/10/15 (Tuesday) 14/10/15 (Wednesday) 19/10/15 (Monday) 23/10/15 (Friday) 21/12/15 (Monday) 24/12/15 (Thursday) 21/1/16 (Thursday)
Feb 2, 2015, 7:32 am
#7
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Brighton, UK
Programs: BA Gold, IC Ambassador, HH Gold, SPG Gold, Fairmont Platinum
Posts: 3,166
Whenever I am in this position, I look to see what seats have been sold. As all F tickets entitle the holder to free seat selection, the seat map should give a fair idea if the cabin is absolutely empty or pretty full.
Try a dummy booking (on expedia.com if ba.com won't show you the map).
Try a dummy booking (on expedia.com if ba.com won't show you the map).
Feb 2, 2015, 7:41 am
#8
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,647
Whenever I am in this position, I look to see what seats have been sold. As all F tickets entitle the holder to free seat selection, the seat map should give a fair idea if the cabin is absolutely empty or pretty full.
Try a dummy booking (on expedia.com if ba.com won't show you the map).
Try a dummy booking (on expedia.com if ba.com won't show you the map).
Feb 2, 2015, 8:33 am
#9
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Brighton, UK
Programs: BA Gold, IC Ambassador, HH Gold, SPG Gold, Fairmont Platinum
Posts: 3,166
It's not an exact science. However, I suspect most F pax do select seats. I tend to be cautious with this, but if the seat maps shows every seat taken or no seats taken, I do think you can get an idea of F sales.
Whether or not empty cabin translates into last minute reward seats is debatable. However, on route where I do this in regularly, near empty F cabin has always resulted in last minute F reward availability.
Feb 2, 2015, 8:51 am
#10
Join Date: May 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 5,380
Not as bad as it could be for 2 F seats...
Code:
Outbound seats available on: 17/2/15 (Tuesday) 9/8/15 (Sunday) 15/8/15 (Saturday) 16/8/15 (Sunday) 17/8/15 (Monday) 18/8/15 (Tuesday) 20/8/15 (Thursday) 23/8/15 (Sunday) 24/8/15 (Monday) 26/8/15 (Wednesday) 30/8/15 (Sunday) 1/9/15 (Tuesday) 2/9/15 (Wednesday) 3/9/15 (Thursday) 4/9/15 (Friday) 5/9/15 (Saturday) 6/9/15 (Sunday) 7/9/15 (Monday) 10/9/15 (Thursday) 13/9/15 (Sunday) 14/9/15 (Monday) 17/9/15 (Thursday) 18/9/15 (Friday) 19/9/15 (Saturday) 20/9/15 (Sunday) 21/9/15 (Monday) 23/9/15 (Wednesday) 25/9/15 (Friday) 27/9/15 (Sunday) 14/10/15 (Wednesday) 10/1/16 (Sunday) 13/1/16 (Wednesday) 17/1/16 (Sunday) 18/1/16 (Monday) 19/1/16 (Tuesday) 20/1/16 (Wednesday) Return seats available on: 13/6/15 (Saturday) 7/7/15 (Tuesday) 7/9/15 (Monday) 10/9/15 (Thursday) 11/9/15 (Friday) 12/9/15 (Saturday) 13/9/15 (Sunday) 14/9/15 (Monday) 16/9/15 (Wednesday) 17/9/15 (Thursday) 18/9/15 (Friday) 21/9/15 (Monday) 23/9/15 (Wednesday) 24/9/15 (Thursday) 25/9/15 (Friday) 27/9/15 (Sunday) 1/10/15 (Thursday) 2/10/15 (Friday) 4/10/15 (Sunday) 6/10/15 (Tuesday) 7/10/15 (Wednesday) 13/10/15 (Tuesday) 14/10/15 (Wednesday) 19/10/15 (Monday) 23/10/15 (Friday) 21/12/15 (Monday) 24/12/15 (Thursday) 21/1/16 (Thursday)
Feb 2, 2015, 11:30 am
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,140
We had similar problems with 2-way with our imminent UVF trip wehen booking last year, and I've seen it all over the place when looking for IAD in J. One-way availability is clearly RevMan's latest trick*
So it looks like a case of us trying to find F availability to 'somewhere' in the Caribbean, rather than to where we want to go. Or we let the 241 either expire, get used for something of lesser value, or go where we want with VS.
* EDIT: On overnight reflection, this old fool has realised that the problem may well be the 355-Day Rule, and that the seats haven't even been released yet. I shall retire to a quiet corner and engage my brain.
Last edited by T8191; Feb 3, 2015 at 2:46 am Reason: Added availability charts from ba.com
Feb 2, 2015, 11:42 am
#12
Join Date: May 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 5,380
Well, it helps me for that route in F for Jan 16 ... As so often seems to happen, we can get there but there's only one day's availability to come home again
We had similar problems with 2-way with our imminent UVF trip wehen booking last year, and I've seen it all over the place when looking for IAD in J. One-way availability is clearly RevMan's latest trick
So it looks like a case of us trying to find F availability to 'somewhere' in the Caribbean, rather than to where we want to go. Or we let the 241 either expire, get used for something of lesser value, or go where we want with VS.
We had similar problems with 2-way with our imminent UVF trip wehen booking last year, and I've seen it all over the place when looking for IAD in J. One-way availability is clearly RevMan's latest trick
So it looks like a case of us trying to find F availability to 'somewhere' in the Caribbean, rather than to where we want to go. Or we let the 241 either expire, get used for something of lesser value, or go where we want with VS.
I booked F to JNB/CPT for my parents using the ring up at 1am 355 days before trick...worth a whirl in future maybe?
Feb 12, 2015, 4:35 am
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: BA Gold, QF WP
Posts: 12,551
It is probably more likely that the one F award seat gets booked rather than another F award seat becoming available though.
I assume you have booked a revenue CW fare rather than a UuA/POUG from WTP?