Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Airlines and Mileage Programs > British Airways | Executive Club
Reload this Page >

Help to check BA seat availability and BA flight loads

Old Jul 9, 2017, 11:09 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: Tobias-UK
This is community help desk which allows members to assist each other in finding out how many seats are available on any given flight.

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 and probably unauthorised (so buyer beware)


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.
Print Wikipost

Help to check BA seat availability and BA flight loads

Old Apr 20, 2018, 3:33 am
  #1591  
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: London
Programs: BA GGL / GfL
Posts: 3,230
Originally Posted by Haax007
Hello, would someone be willing to check loads on
BA 238 BOS-LHR on Friday 27 April?
Much appreciated!
BA 238
BOS 04/27/18 7:45 AM
LHR 04/27/18 7:20 PM
777
F9 A9 J9 C4 D0 R0 I0 W3 E0 T0 Y9 B9
H9 K9 M9 L6 V3 S0 N0 Q0 O0 G9

Pilot37
Pilot37 is online now  
Old Apr 20, 2018, 3:34 am
  #1592  
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: London
Programs: Many. Too many. I came here to cut them down. I failed.
Posts: 2,999
Originally Posted by Haax007
Hello, would someone be willing to check loads on
BA 238 BOS-LHR on Friday 27 April?
Much appreciated!
This is UK POS

FRI 27APR18 BOSTON /LONDON AREA
BA 238 BOS LHR 27/0745 1920
F9 A9 J9 C4 DC RC IC W3 EC TC Y9 B9 H9 K9 M9 L6 V3 SC NC QC OC G9

Question of my own - people - what class does Avios Availability book into in Economy - is it X? (i.e. no longer G?)
Sam Bee is offline  
Old Apr 20, 2018, 3:36 am
  #1593  
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: London
Programs: Many. Too many. I came here to cut them down. I failed.
Posts: 2,999
Originally Posted by Flame3601
CPT-JNB BA6414 21/04
JNB-CPT BA6429 21/04

Thanks in advanced.
Again, UK POS - flying visit?! If so, wide open

SAT 21APR18 CAPE TOWN /JOHANNESBURG
CPT JNB 1220 1420 @BA6414
J9 C9 D9 R9 I9 Y9 B9 H9 K9 M9 L9 V9 S9 N9 Q9 O9 G9

SAT 21APR18 JOHANNESBURG/CAPE TOWN
JNB CPT 1700 1910 @BA6429
J9 C9 D9 R9 I9 Y9 B9 H9 K9 M9 L9 V9 S9 N9 Q9 O9 G9
Sam Bee is offline  
Old Apr 20, 2018, 3:38 am
  #1594  
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: London
Programs: BA GGL / GfL
Posts: 3,230
Originally Posted by Flame3601
CPT-JNB BA6414 21/04
JNB-CPT BA6429 21/04

Thanks in advanced.
BA (MN) 6414
CPT 04/21/18 12:20 PM
JNB 04/21/18 2:20 PM
738
J9 C9 D9 R9 I9 Y9 B9 H9 K9 M9 L9 V9
S9 N9 Q9 O9 G9

BA (MN) 6429
JNB 04/21/18 5:00 PM
CPT 04/21/18 7:10 PM
738
J9 C9 D9 R9 I9 Y9 B9 H9 K9 M9 L9 V9
S9 N9 Q9 O9 G9

SA PoS

Pilot37
Pilot37 is online now  
Old Apr 20, 2018, 3:39 am
  #1595  
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 10,125
Originally Posted by Sam Bee

Question of my own - people - what class does Avios Availability book into in Economy - is it X? (i.e. no longer G?)
Happy to be corrected but I am pretty sure for redemptions, all three as below I have had in the last 6 months it is:

X = Economy
U = Business
Z = First

I'm sure P is the code for PE redemptions
Sam Bee likes this.
PETER01 is offline  
Old Apr 20, 2018, 3:41 am
  #1596  
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: London
Programs: BA GGL / GfL
Posts: 3,230
Originally Posted by PETER01
Happy to be corrected but I am pretty sure for redemptions it is:

X = Economy
U = Business
Z = First

I'm sure P is the code for PE redemptions
All correct (including the WTP code) and additional Gold Economy Redemption space is under V.

Pilot37
Sam Bee and PETER01 like this.
Pilot37 is online now  
Old Apr 20, 2018, 3:43 am
  #1597  
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 10,125
Originally Posted by Pilot37
All correct (including the WTP code) and additional Gold Redemption space is under V.

Pilot37
Ah, thanks very much Pilot37.

I never knew that about V so ^
Sam Bee and Pilot37 like this.
PETER01 is offline  
Old Apr 20, 2018, 3:44 am
  #1598  
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: London
Programs: Many. Too many. I came here to cut them down. I failed.
Posts: 2,999
Thanks both!
Sam Bee is offline  
Old Apr 20, 2018, 4:15 am
  #1599  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: LON
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 50
Originally Posted by Sam Bee
This is UK POS

FRI 27APR18 BOSTON /LONDON AREA
BA 238 BOS LHR 27/0745 1920
F9 A9 J9 C4 DC RC IC W3 EC TC Y9 B9 H9 K9 M9 L6 V3 SC NC QC OC G9

Question of my own - people - what class does Avios Availability book into in Economy - is it X? (i.e. no longer G?)
​​​​​​​Thanks!!!
Haax007 is offline  
Old Apr 20, 2018, 11:42 am
  #1600  
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Cape Town
Programs: BA Exec Gold , Qatar Priviledge Club Plat
Posts: 1,584
Originally Posted by Sam Bee
Again, UK POS - flying visit?! If so, wide open

SAT 21APR18 CAPE TOWN /JOHANNESBURG
CPT JNB 1220 1420 @BA6414
J9 C9 D9 R9 I9 Y9 B9 H9 K9 M9 L9 V9 S9 N9 Q9 O9 G9

SAT 21APR18 JOHANNESBURG/CAPE TOWN
JNB CPT 1700 1910 @BA6429
J9 C9 D9 R9 I9 Y9 B9 H9 K9 M9 L9 V9 S9 N9 Q9 O9 G9
Good memory and thanks for the numbers! I sometimes have to go up for only few hours to sign documents.

Originally Posted by Pilot37
BA (MN) 6414
CPT 04/21/18 12:20 PM
JNB 04/21/18 2:20 PM
738
J9 C9 D9 R9 I9 Y9 B9 H9 K9 M9 L9 V9
S9 N9 Q9 O9 G9

BA (MN) 6429
JNB 04/21/18 5:00 PM
CPT 04/21/18 7:10 PM
738
J9 C9 D9 R9 I9 Y9 B9 H9 K9 M9 L9 V9
S9 N9 Q9 O9 G9

SA PoS

Pilot37
Thanks
Flame3601 is offline  
Old Apr 20, 2018, 10:41 pm
  #1601  
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 47
Can some lovely person please check BA80 MCT to LHR for 23rd April.

Thank you in advance
flygirl16 is offline  
Old Apr 20, 2018, 11:33 pm
  #1602  
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 302
Hi Guys
Im on the BA35 to MAA (Chennai) today 21st April, Im in Club World. What are the loads like?
Thanks
PrivatePilotDR40 is offline  
Old Apr 20, 2018, 11:49 pm
  #1603  
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: N Ireland
Posts: 62
Originally Posted by flygirl16
Can some lovely person please check BA80 MCT to LHR for 23rd April.

Thank you in advance
UK POS

J9 C0 D0 R0 I0 W9 E6 T0 Y9 B9 H9 K9 M9 L9 V9 S9 N9 Q9 O0 G9
tamalien is offline  
Old Apr 20, 2018, 11:52 pm
  #1604  
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: N Ireland
Posts: 62
Originally Posted by samwilliams88
Hi Guys
Im on the BA35 to MAA (Chennai) today 21st April, Im in Club World. What are the loads like?
Thanks
UK POS

J9 C0 D0 R0 I0 W6 E3 T0 Y9 B9 H9 K9 M9 L9 V9 S9 N9 Q0 O0 G1
tamalien is offline  
Old Apr 20, 2018, 11:54 pm
  #1605  
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 47
Originally Posted by tamalien
Thank you
flygirl16 is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.