CALfly5

As of 5/13, CO99 (EWR-HKG) on 5/21 is sold out in ALL Y classes of service, but shows 9 seats in BF fare classes:

CO99 5/21: J9 C9 D8 Z0 Y0 B0 M0 H0 K0 Q0 U0 V0 G0 W0 E0 S0 T0 N0 L0
(The seatmap shows 13 selectable seats in BF, so its possible there are more than 9 seats for sale.)

Neither the JCDZ numbers, nor the YBMH...etc numbers has changed at all since I started keeping track on Monday 5/10 (5 days ago).

There is a waitlist for BF on that flight, with at least 5 of us on it that I know of, and we're all taking up seats in Y. It is now 6 days before departure.

Is CO forgoing revenue due to its insistence of maintaining somewhere between 9 and 13 seats in BF, and keeping some of the waitlisted folks taking up space in Y? (Cheapest Y tickets a week ago were B-class, at $1600, so if CO were to upgrade a waitlisted pax and free up a Y seat for sale, it wouldn't be for peanuts.)

channa

Who's to say they're not massively overselling Y in anticipation of processing upgrades, but waiting to process upgrades until they're sure there won't be any more revenue bookings.

Revenue managers think of these things. They may be one step ahead of you.

Princess1

I'm doing the same wait, only we're still 6 weeks out. I keep telling myself to be patient, and re-explaining the term "waitlist" to Mr. P1. 2 more BF seats have sold according to the latest seatmap. Oddly, this flight is difficult to find on a basic search (IAH-LHR direct).

I've been told by many to check the website for upgradeable flights. Occasionally a seat will be released but upgrades not processed. Yes, they are hoping for fullfare. But with vigilance and crossed fingers you'll fly comfy.

pptp

Yep, seen that a lot. It sucks for us non-revs looking to score a BF seat on a wide open cabin then all of a sudden it falls apart because Y was oversold to fill up front and back.

It's great for those of you lucky enough to get the op-up.

fly747first

Right, not to mention that CO's revenue management systems will have a pretty good estimate of the percentage of seats they have historically been able to overbook.

JC1120

BF seats to PVG, HKG, PEK can fill up fairly quickly towards the end. My guess is rev management is hoping to get that revenue, which is just a tiny bit more than your miles + cash

RNE

But that doesn't make sense. CO is our loyal friend. We fly it when others have lower fares, we stupidly buy things we don't need and fly places we don't need to go to get its miles, and we get mad when someone criticizes it. We are so good to CO, why won't it give us a good seat??? You're acting like CO is a company or something, trying to make money! I don't understand.

Karl Marx, saying, "CO should give me a FC seat because it has one and I don't."

usa18dca

Not so great for the five passengers who will be stuck Flight is showing over by 5 total right now with 9 BF seats open...so CO will gladly take miles+cash from people in an overbook situation to offset the IDB/VDB of the 5 passengers...It's a win/win for CO really.

Princess1

Wait a minute..... I did WHAT?????

Just checked my res. Yes, IAH-LHR shows waitlisted. Back of plane full aside from some random middles. Elite seats in the middle, which should relieve some of the crowding. But there is my seat (if no bump up) in the MIDDLE. Gave the tall guy the aisle.

Did I really set myself up for the potential of sitting in a MIDDLE seat for 9 hours????? whimper. This has been a rough year. I'm not thinking straight.