Does anyone know if you search for an award seat and continue to book it online to the payment page, but don't pay - if the seat gets removed from the availability?

Earlier, I was on the phone finishing a booking off and searched for my last leg online and got to the booking page and the agent said the flight wasn't available. After the call, it showed unavailable for me as well. A little while later, it reappeared and I did the same thing and the agent said it wasn't available anymore.

I tested searching for the seats on the paid side of the website, first booking 2 seats in F saver, then got to the payment page but didn't hold or pay. Then went back, the seats we're now only available in F flex. I continued to the payment page, but didn't hold or pay and now the seats are gone from the website entirely and cannot be found to book.

I'm not sure if it's just a glitch in my browser or something with my cookies or if this is how their system works?

I'm hopefully going to wait for the award seats to show online again but not continue this time and call up to see if they can change me to those flights.

Not exactly sure how CX's IBE (Internet Booking Engine) is built but this sometimes happens.

(In awards) If you go past the the flight confirmation page to the passenger information page, the seat is held and won't be released for another 6-8 hours (if at all)