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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 Nov 20, 2018, 7:29 am
  #2731  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 9
Sorry - BA2203 Gatwick to Cancun
Darren Brooks is offline  
Old Nov 20, 2018, 7:30 am
  #2732  
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Surrey, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold, QRPC Silver
Posts: 518
Originally Posted by PAL62V
Could someone please have a look at BA 189 (LHR-EWR) for tomorrow - Nov 21?
Available Classes: F1 A0 J7 C0 D0 R0 I0 W7 E0 T0 Y8 B6 H6 K4 M2 L0 V0 S0 N0 Q0 O0 G2
spec119 is offline  
Old Nov 20, 2018, 7:45 am
  #2733  
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Programs: BA Gold for Life
Posts: 1,388
Originally Posted by darren brooks
sorry - ba2203 gatwick to cancun
j2 c2 d0 r0 i0 w6 e6 t4 y9 b9 h9 k9 m9 l9 v9 s9 n9 q9 o9 g9
Rubecula is offline  
Old Nov 20, 2018, 8:07 am
  #2734  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 9
Originally Posted by Rubecula
j2 c2 d0 r0 i0 w6 e6 t4 y9 b9 h9 k9 m9 l9 v9 s9 n9 q9 o9 g9
Many thanks, was looking to see a chance of an upgrade as have 4 seats booked, reckon out of luck though.
Darren Brooks is offline  
Old Nov 20, 2018, 8:29 am
  #2735  
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,747
Originally Posted by spec119
Available Classes: F1 A0 J7 C0 D0 R0 I0 W7 E0 T0 Y8 B6 H6 K4 M2 L0 V0 S0 N0 Q0 O0 G2
Thank you!
PAL62V is offline  
Old Nov 20, 2018, 9:44 am
  #2736  
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 124
Would it be possible for someone to post BA216 IAD - LHR for tomorrow, 21 November? Many thanks.
ConstellationClass is offline  
Old Nov 20, 2018, 9:51 am
  #2737  
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Plymouth, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 1,159
Originally Posted by constellationclass
would it be possible for someone to post ba216 iad - lhr for tomorrow, 21 november? Many thanks.
ba216 21/11/18 iad - lhr f6 a5 j9 c0 d0 r0 i0 w9 e0 t0 y6 b4h4 k4 m0 l0 v0 s0 n0 q0 o0 g0

snaxmuppet is offline  
Old Nov 20, 2018, 9:57 am
  #2738  
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 124
Originally Posted by snaxmuppet
ba216 21/11/18 iad - lhr f6 a5 j9 c0 d0 r0 i0 w9 e0 t0 y6 b4h4 k4 m0 l0 v0 s0 n0 q0 o0 g0

Thank you!
ConstellationClass is offline  
Old Nov 20, 2018, 9:58 am
  #2739  
ors
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 3
27/11, BA0274, LAS to LHR
28/11, BA0163, LHR to TLV

Thanks !
ors is offline  
Old Nov 20, 2018, 10:12 am
  #2740  
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Gatwick, UK
Programs: UA *G, BA Silver
Posts: 1,672
27/11, BA0274, LAS to LHR - F7 A6 J9 C5 D6 R1 I0 W9 E8 T8 Y9 B9H8 K8 M4 L4 V2 S0 N0 Q0 O0 G0
28/11, BA0163, LHR to TLV - J5 C5 D5 R1 I0 W9 E7 T7 Y9 B9 H9 K9M9 L9 V9 S9 N0 Q0 O0 G3
SeattleDavid is offline  
Old Nov 20, 2018, 11:30 am
  #2741  
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 845
Can someone please check the loads on

22NOV BA283 LHR-LAX
25NOV BA268 LAX-LHR

Thanks!
B747forever is offline  
Old Nov 20, 2018, 11:37 am
  #2742  
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: living near Malaga
Programs: BA Gold , Mucci recipient. Coffee Drinker, Blue Sky Thinker
Posts: 2,108
Originally Posted by B747forever
Can someone please check the loads on
22NOV BA283 LHR-LAX
25NOV BA268 LAX-LHR
Thanks!
BA283
LHR 10:35a → LAX 1:55p
F8 A7 J9 C0 D0 R0 I0 W9 E0 T0 Y9 B9 H7 K5 M2 L0 V0 S0 N0 Q0 O0 G9

BA268
LAX 9:05p → LHR 3:25p
F2 A1 J9 C1 D1 R0 I0 W9 E0 T0 Y9 B9 H9 K9 M9 L9 V9 S9 N9 Q9 O0 G9

have a great flight
sunshinebob is offline  
Old Nov 20, 2018, 11:40 am
  #2743  
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 845
Thanks!
B747forever is offline  
Old Nov 20, 2018, 9:25 pm
  #2744  
ors
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 3
Thanks !
ors is offline  
Old Nov 21, 2018, 10:14 pm
  #2745  
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: UK
Programs: BA EC
Posts: 524
Hey guys much appreciated for your help to check loafing for BA28 and BA32 on 27 Nov thanks
neofung is offline  

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