TATL Upgrades using Skymiles and SWUs on Air France/KLM
Aug 18, 2012, 5:24 pm
#781
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: BER, SAT, AUS
Programs: Feels like FO (AA EXP)
Posts: 1,611
FB seems to follow SM - sitting on several W's from now to January and I don't see any availability for anything (not even W) +/- 10 days from all of my travel date. The whole of September shows a total of 3 days with Y availability and not a single availability in J between ATL,DTW-->CDG and back. October is just the same. 
How likely is AF opening up O close to departure (my next W is coming up Sep., 2nd)?
How likely is AF opening up O close to departure (my next W is coming up Sep., 2nd)?
Aug 18, 2012, 6:46 pm
#783
Join Date: Jan 1999
Location: Charlotte, NC
Programs: DL DM, Hilton, Marriott & SPG Platinum & a whole lot of other programs...
Posts: 745
Aug 18, 2012, 6:49 pm
#784
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,022
Aug 18, 2012, 6:50 pm
#785
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SUX
Programs: BA Silver; HHonors Gold; SPG Gold; Points but dirt with everyone else
Posts: 8,050
O out of a hub seemed really sparse when I was using some SWUs this spring/early summer. Not much opening up last minute, either, as I was looking to improve routings and flight times over my IAD and ORD flights.
Aug 18, 2012, 6:57 pm
#786
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,022
BOS-CDG is available 8/19 8/20 8/21
Aug 18, 2012, 7:21 pm
#787
Join Date: Jan 1999
Location: Charlotte, NC
Programs: DL DM, Hilton, Marriott & SPG Platinum & a whole lot of other programs...
Posts: 745
My experience JFK -> CDG and CDG->JFK on 4 separate legs didn't open up 1 month prior up to and including departure.
Aug 18, 2012, 11:01 pm
#789
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SUX
Programs: BA Silver; HHonors Gold; SPG Gold; Points but dirt with everyone else
Posts: 8,050
And it appears that BOS-CDG is the only US/Canada-CDG AF route with O available 19–21 August. I checked IAD, ATL, DTW, JFK, LAX, SFO, ORD, IAH, MIA, YUL, YYZ, and MCO and found nothing. It's worth nothing that the IAD-CDG flights are J9 and even Z9 (AF's deeply discounted business bucket), so it's not like these flights are sold out.
Aug 19, 2012, 1:38 am
#790
Join Date: Jan 2011
Programs: DL DM, AA PE
Posts: 46
That's why I routed thru JFK. Very full flight with lots of kids. Had an alert set and O never opened up. Theory : families traveling home from summer vacation.
Btw - new lounge in 2E is very nice.
Fingers crossed for O on way back 777
Aug 19, 2012, 7:57 am
#791
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,022
And it appears that BOS-CDG is the only US/Canada-CDG AF route with O available 19–21 August. I checked IAD, ATL, DTW, JFK, LAX, SFO, ORD, IAH, MIA, YUL, YYZ, and MCO and found nothing. It's worth nothing that the IAD-CDG flights are J9 and even Z9 (AF's deeply discounted business bucket), so it's not like these flights are sold out.
Aug 19, 2012, 10:25 am
#792
FlyerTalk Evangelist & Ambassador: China
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: DL DM/MM, UA 1K, AA Exp, HH Dia, WOH Glob, IHG Plat, Marriott Gold, NA EE, Hertz PC
Posts: 17,419
Aug 19, 2012, 12:40 pm
#793
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: BER, SAT, AUS
Programs: Feels like FO (AA EXP)
Posts: 1,611
Yes :-( I am currently questioning the economics of still having EF and stil ltrying to use SWU's because basically all alarms have been empty until boarding time for the past 2 months. Sep., Oct., and Nov. do not look much better. My hope grows slim ...
Aug 19, 2012, 3:44 pm
#794
Join Date: Dec 2011
Programs: DL DM PM
Posts: 2,033
c_d, I just gave up my EF membership exactly because of this and I'm not willing to gamble at the gate with AF. The last 3 alerts on AF yielded zip.
SWUs are still useful ex-ATL for some European destinations, but always on DL metal.
SWUs are still useful ex-ATL for some European destinations, but always on DL metal.
Aug 19, 2012, 9:11 pm
#795
FlyerTalk Evangelist & Ambassador: China
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: DL DM/MM, UA 1K, AA Exp, HH Dia, WOH Glob, IHG Plat, Marriott Gold, NA EE, Hertz PC
Posts: 17,419
This is too bad, because not 6 months ago AF was great. Lots of seats released 3-4 weeks before flight and it kept rolling. I too have 2 AF alerts for some Sept itins. In Aug I had 10 AF alerts, nada. I only lucked out when KL alerts came through with seats.