Overbooking First Class
 

This has been discussed here and at the DO's before, and the general understanding has been that F is never intentionally overbooked. Here, though, it looks like I've found at least one example where that's not the case. Check this flight out:

[KVS Availability Tool 3.0.2/Lite - Apollo: ITN/US-ARL]
CO is selling 9 seats out of a possible 8 in first on the 737-500. Does anyone else know of flights that are oversold up front?

I bet it's just a miscommunication between the fleet scheduling department and revenue management regarding what type of airplane will ultimately operate that flight.

I show that it's a 12 seater in FCLass.

Looks like the Apollo data is slightly out-of-sync:

[KVS Availability Tool 3.0.2/Platinum - Sabre: ITN/UK-ASB]

FWIW, I'm not sure what GDS source ExpertFlyer uses, but they were also showing a 735 and A9.

Interestingly, CO.com shows it as a 737-500 with 8 FC seats. Possible it's in the process of being changed, and all the systems haven't been updated yet.

Seatmap data is, generally, always real-time and takes precedence over the A/C type in the availability data:

[KVS Availability Tool 3.0.2/Platinum - Amadeus Seat Map: 28 Feb 2008/CO 821/IAH-JFK/735/F]

just checked shares and the aircraft type is a 737-500 and config is 12fc 112yc. Hope this helps

I wasn't aware that such a config existed in the CO fleet?? 733 maybe?

Its funny I just read effective 31jan06 all 737-500 aircraft have been configured with the new 8/106 seating. who knows?

Correct
 

All of CO's 735s are 8 up front

I still maintain what I wrote in post #2 (or something along those lines). :p

AA used to routinely overbook First by 1 seat on domestic flights.

The 735 is like a cruel joke
 

I would love to see CO jettison the 735 from its fleet entirely. I cannot figure out why they fly those planes from EWR to a market like MIA, I'm really sick of it. 8 seats (2 rows) in FC, and the "bulkhead" is a weird fabric-y contraption, so the second row of FC reclines into the first row of coach. Pitiful.

They're working on it. In process.

Where do you suggest they fly them? They're currently a sizable portion of the fleet, so they have to be flown somewhere! Given that AA owns MIA, CO doesn't need to use equipment with large capacity. Fly to FLL if you want bigger planes with more FC seats...
A lot of airlines have this. I'm not sure why it matters so much. Are the folks in the Y bulkhead that much more prone to kicking your seat back when you're in row 2 compared to, say the folks behind you in FC if you were seated in row 1? Frankly, I like the curtain because it gives that row in Y more legroom which comes in handy to pre-book in case the upgrade doesn't clear...

Hi OptionsCLE, we do not intentionally oversell First Class on our domestic flights. Although our flight 821 is scheduled to be a 737-500 between Houston (IAH) and New York (JFK), it's currently planned to be substituted with a 737-700 on Mar. 1. Our 737-700s have 12 First Class seats, which would explain why you're currently seeing at least 9 seats for sale.

And you were right (or at least the closest). Congrats!

I was seated in 2B on a 735 once and had a child who was seated in a car seat in 5C kick the back of my seat all the way from SFO to IAH.

Would you like more seats in Y? I have flown that route a number of times and each time I have been upgraded as gold, Mrs. TLVORBUST has been upgraded as silver, and Ma TLVORBUST has been upgraded as companion. With all of this there have still been seats available in F.

Forgive me if this is common knowledge, but what aircraft is the chosen replacement for the 737-500?

CO is taking new deliveries of 737-800 and 737-900ER for its domestic mainline service, and taking the 737-500 out. They are not direct replacement, but to renew the fleet and increase the average number of seats per aircraft.

Routes that are on 737-500 may be upgraded to the 737-300 and 737-700, while those may be replaced by 738 and so on.

Well some of the 735s are leaving the fleet. But it will be quite some time (years) before the 735s are all gone. There's just too many of them, and the number of 735s being retired is smaller than the number of 738s and 739-ERs being delivered.

Come on baby, 735 on IAH-LBB ^

That would just spoil the entire experience that is flying into LBB. An agonizing hour in an ERJ without free alcohol is the proper way to prepare oneself for time there. :p

Because once you're there you are drowning in booze, dust, and Texas Tech students :)

LOL.... If they upgrade service into LBB I may just have to try it out to see what it is like to fly into and outta LBB on a big plane. While I may have left LBB I am now flying outta of either TUL or OKC and have to wake up real early or leave late to experience the big planes. Funny thing is that the planes and the departure times between these two cities are about the same so the price is the determining factor. Fly on 737-500. :)

You are almost certainly right but please note that the 737-700 is one of the longest range 737's (with the 739ER) and will likely continue to serve the longer haul 737 routes (such as EWR to northern South America).

Also, while the 733 is larger than the 735, I'm not quite sure I would call that an "upgrade." Remember the 733 is the oldest plane in the CO fleet, and the oldest a/c operating (N16301) is now nearly 23 years old.

It is an upgrade in the sense that there will be more F (and Y) seats available on flights that go from a 735 to a 733.

Based on the retirement and winglet schedules, it seems like the 733 will be retiring faster as the 738/739ER's come online. The 735's will probably be in the fleet until either CO mainline renegotiates so that CO can get some EMB-190 class ships, or Boeing comes out with their 737 replacement with a ~110 seat version.

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It's not an agonizing hour in an ERJ. It's more like a not so bad almost 90 minute trip in 12A on an ERJ with a handful of CO Currency coupons.

Agony is taking one of the Chautauqua CRJ flights on that route.

You could always fly WN to LBB if you want to see what it's like to fly a 737 there...