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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.
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Help to check BA seat availability and BA flight loads

Old Sep 17, 2018, 4:59 am
  #2386  
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: London
Programs: Many. Too many. I came here to cut them down. I failed.
Posts: 2,998
Originally Posted by Xade
Ba2677. 17th Sept
To/from?
Sam Bee is offline  
Old Sep 17, 2018, 8:57 am
  #2387  
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: TPA/ABZ
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold. GGL/CCR.
Posts: 13,209
Originally Posted by Xade
Ba2677. 17th Sept
A 'please' would be nice.
golfmad is offline  
Old Sep 17, 2018, 9:05 am
  #2388  
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Nottingham, UK
Programs: Skyteam Silver, BA Bronze
Posts: 115
Good afternoon all

I wondered if some one could please help

I am booked in Y+ (Actually T) on BA0275 (LHR-LAS) on the 6th October, returning on the 11th October on BA0274, again in Y+ (T)

I am looking at seat Choices, and there are only 6 seats left unallocated, on both legs, and They are all rubbish (Mid of 4 on the old 744 !)

Given that there is no real choice, I don't want to pay 88 to reserve rubbish seats, so would YOU leave it til check in at T-24 and hope like crazy of opup ? (No premium status, but travelling alone)
dukesy is offline  
Old Sep 17, 2018, 4:53 pm
  #2389  
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: Aegean Airlines Silver, British Airways Gold, Virgin Atlantic Silver
Posts: 1,740
Could someone please check these:

HEATHROW - MEXICO CITY
Wednesday 19/09/2018 at15:20
BRITISH AIRWAYS BA243

MEXICO CITY - HEATHROW
Wedbesday 26/09/2018 at 23:00
BRITISH AIRWAYS BA242
gallagher is offline  
Old Sep 18, 2018, 2:42 am
  #2390  
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: London
Programs: Many. Too many. I came here to cut them down. I failed.
Posts: 2,998
Originally Posted by gallagher
could someone please check these:

Heathrow - mexico city
wednesday 19/09/2018 at15:20
british airways ba243

mexico city - heathrow
wedbesday 26/09/2018 at 23:00
british airways ba242
1 lhr mex 1520 2045 ba 243
f3 a2 j3 c0 d0 rc ic w9 e1 t0 y9 b9 h9 k9 m9 l6 v3 sc nc qc

1 mex lhr26/ 2300#1530 ba 242
f2 a1 j9 c9 d9 r9 ic w9 e7 t6 y9 b9 h9 k9 m9 l9 v9 s9 n9 q9 oc g9
Sam Bee is offline  
Old Sep 18, 2018, 2:53 am
  #2391  
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: London
Programs: Many. Too many. I came here to cut them down. I failed.
Posts: 2,998
Originally Posted by dukesy
Good afternoon all

I wondered if some one could please help

I am booked in Y+ (Actually T) on BA0275 (LHR-LAS) on the 6th October, returning on the 11th October on BA0274, again in Y+ (T)

I am looking at seat Choices, and there are only 6 seats left unallocated, on both legs, and They are all rubbish (Mid of 4 on the old 744 !)

Given that there is no real choice, I don't want to pay 88 to reserve rubbish seats, so would YOU leave it til check in at T-24 and hope like crazy of opup ? (No premium status, but travelling alone)
I'm not the person to answer this, but if I was being waterboarded, i'd probably say the following:

a) you won't be upgraded, just statistically BA's algorythms are normally spot on, and i'd assume more people higher up the list
b) but if all remaining seats are rubbish, what's the point in choosing one over the other? (what's the normal recommendation for increasing opup - OLCI or not?)

What I can do is give you availability:

BA 275 J9 C0 DC RC IC W1 EC TC (what do you call a good seat btw - I see 12 A&D&G available?)
BA 264 J0 C0 DC RC IC W0 EC TC - lots of rubbish seats left here - but also 12D&G to avoid the middle seats. Perhaps maybe a good flight to volunteer rebooking?

Others will analyse this better than me
Sam Bee is offline  
Old Sep 18, 2018, 9:53 am
  #2392  
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Nottingham, UK
Programs: Skyteam Silver, BA Bronze
Posts: 115
Originally Posted by Sam Bee
I'm not the person to answer this, but if I was being waterboarded, i'd probably say the following:

a) you won't be upgraded, just statistically BA's algorythms are normally spot on, and i'd assume more people higher up the list
b) but if all remaining seats are rubbish, what's the point in choosing one over the other? (what's the normal recommendation for increasing opup - OLCI or not?)

What I can do is give you availability:

BA 275 J9 C0 DC RC IC W1 EC TC (what do you call a good seat btw - I see 12 A&D&G available?)
BA 264 J0 C0 DC RC IC W0 EC TC - lots of rubbish seats left here - but also 12D&G to avoid the middle seats. Perhaps maybe a good flight to volunteer rebooking?

Others will analyse this better than me

Hmm..Odd

Can't see anything at all in Row 12 !
Not sure if this is due to no premium status then !!

Current availability
dukesy is offline  
Old Sep 18, 2018, 11:56 am
  #2393  
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: London
Programs: Many. Too many. I came here to cut them down. I failed.
Posts: 2,998
Originally Posted by dukesy
Hmm..Odd

Can't see anything at all in Row 12 !
Not sure if this is due to no premium status then !!

Current availability


This is what I see - some change as well
dukesy likes this.
Sam Bee is offline  
Old Sep 19, 2018, 4:26 am
  #2394  
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 116
I appreciate I'm 2 weeks out, but could I trouble someone to check the availability on the below flight please. some of the better J seats have gone so wondering about allocating or whether we should hold out for the hope of flub instead.

03-10-2018 BA2157 LGW-ANU

Thanks for your help in advance,
TMM
The Muffin Man is offline  
Old Sep 19, 2018, 6:00 am
  #2395  
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver, ZSL Silver
Posts: 2,539
Originally Posted by The Muffin Man
I appreciate I'm 2 weeks out, but could I trouble someone to check the availability on the below flight please. some of the better J seats have gone so wondering about allocating or whether we should hold out for the hope of flub instead.

03-10-2018 BA2157 LGW-ANU

Thanks for your help in advance,
TMM
Here's the availability, with UK POS:

J9 C9 D9 R5 I0 W5 E2 T0 Y1 B1 H0 K0 M0 L0 V0 S0 N0 Q0 O0 G0
gustavmahler is offline  
Old Sep 19, 2018, 2:04 pm
  #2396  
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 116
Thanks.
The Muffin Man is offline  
Old Sep 19, 2018, 2:16 pm
  #2397  
 
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 7
Please can you show the loads for BA414/22 Sep and BA415/29 Sep
Irish37 is offline  
Old Sep 20, 2018, 4:39 am
  #2398  
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Gold, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,544
Can someone kindly check the BA107 London Heathrow to Dubai on 22nd September? Thanks.
Gomac is offline  
Old Sep 20, 2018, 5:24 am
  #2399  
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 62
Hello, could someone possibly check loads on the following flights, please:

BA0207 LHR-MIA 3rd Oct
BA0208 MIA-LHR 17th Oct

Many thanks
sbp88 is offline  
Old Sep 20, 2018, 7:39 am
  #2400  
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Mexico
Programs: BAEC Gold / Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,503
Sorry for late notice.

Today 20th September Mex to LHR - BA242.

Thanks a lot
TTmex is offline  

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