No more flex date award searches?
Jul 26, 2017, 9:33 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: IND
Programs: DL DM, UA & AA Peeon, Hilton/Starwood Gold
Posts: 875
No more flex date award searches?
I'm hoping that I'm just doing something wrong, but I have been on two browsers this morning and have noticed something new.
As recent as yesterday, I could go on the advanced search page and look for flexible date award bookings. A box would appear under the departure date box and you'd have an option to select either a five day view or a month-long view.
Both logged in and not logged in, when I select award booking, the option to see the calendar disappears. I can only search for the date I provide.
Hopefully this is temporary, but if it is done purposefully, I find it another slap in the face by the SkyMiles team. For destinations that don't offer daily service, this is a tool that is incredibly helpful. Curious if anyone else is seeing the same thing?
As recent as yesterday, I could go on the advanced search page and look for flexible date award bookings. A box would appear under the departure date box and you'd have an option to select either a five day view or a month-long view.
Both logged in and not logged in, when I select award booking, the option to see the calendar disappears. I can only search for the date I provide.
Hopefully this is temporary, but if it is done purposefully, I find it another slap in the face by the SkyMiles team. For destinations that don't offer daily service, this is a tool that is incredibly helpful. Curious if anyone else is seeing the same thing?
Jul 26, 2017, 9:41 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
There are flex date searches available from Book a Trip on the home page. The default result shows a week. The five week display option remains.
Why a flex date button is missing on the Advanced Search page (in Chrome for me) is interesting. The flex date button is still there in Edge. I suspect it's a coding error for Chrome.
Why a flex date button is missing on the Advanced Search page (in Chrome for me) is interesting. The flex date button is still there in Edge. I suspect it's a coding error for Chrome.
Jul 26, 2017, 10:47 am
#6
In memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2005
Location: PIT
Programs: DM life is over 2MM PM now & NW MillionAir Wyndham Rewards Plat -Hotels.com Silver -Accor Silver
Posts: 15,408
It's working for me on Firefox.
I did notice the other day - and still ongoing - is, the 5 week button disappears <sometimes> when you switch from "money" to "miles", so, when you search for 7 days, the 5 week button appears - then just do your 5 week search.
I did notice the other day - and still ongoing - is, the 5 week button disappears <sometimes> when you switch from "money" to "miles", so, when you search for 7 days, the 5 week button appears - then just do your 5 week search.
Jul 26, 2017, 10:47 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,043
While the button does not appear for me, when I do the actual search it always gives me the Flexible Dates view. Also when searching from the home page "Book A Trip", it always gives me the Flexible Dates view even when I have "Exact Dates" selected.
Jul 26, 2017, 12:25 pm
#8
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 205
I'm hoping that I'm just doing something wrong, but I have been on two browsers this morning and have noticed something new.
As recent as yesterday, I could go on the advanced search page and look for flexible date award bookings. A box would appear under the departure date box and you'd have an option to select either a five day view or a month-long view.
Both logged in and not logged in, when I select award booking, the option to see the calendar disappears. I can only search for the date I provide.
Hopefully this is temporary, but if it is done purposefully, I find it another slap in the face by the SkyMiles team. For destinations that don't offer daily service, this is a tool that is incredibly helpful. Curious if anyone else is seeing the same thing?
As recent as yesterday, I could go on the advanced search page and look for flexible date award bookings. A box would appear under the departure date box and you'd have an option to select either a five day view or a month-long view.
Both logged in and not logged in, when I select award booking, the option to see the calendar disappears. I can only search for the date I provide.
Hopefully this is temporary, but if it is done purposefully, I find it another slap in the face by the SkyMiles team. For destinations that don't offer daily service, this is a tool that is incredibly helpful. Curious if anyone else is seeing the same thing?
Aug 10, 2017, 11:02 am
#9
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 352
Flexible dates not allowed for award tickets?
If one does Book a Flight on delta.com, and Advanced Search, there has always been the Flexible Dates box. This has been true for using money or miles. But now I find that if I click MILES, the Flexible Dates option disappears and I can only search for a specific day. This must have changed very recently. Has anyone else noticed this? One can still get the flexible dates on subsequent screens, however...
Last edited by RSSrsvp; Aug 11, 2017 at 11:45 am Reason: Merged into existing thread
Aug 10, 2017, 11:17 am
#10
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: LAX/BUR, RDU
Programs: DL SM, AAdvantage, SPG
Posts: 1,360
There is a recent thread that discusses this issue, so you aren't the only one.
No more flex date award searches?
The check box seems to not show up if you've selected "Miles," but the calendar/five week will appear on subsequent screens.
No more flex date award searches?
The check box seems to not show up if you've selected "Miles," but the calendar/five week will appear on subsequent screens.
Aug 11, 2017, 6:25 am
#11
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 352
But the problem is now that if I put in specific dates (the only option when miles are selected) I can receive this message:
"Oh no! We're sorry, but there are not enough seats available on this flight to complete your booking. Please try selecting the flexible date option to continue your search. #101767A "
"Oh no! We're sorry, but there are not enough seats available on this flight to complete your booking. Please try selecting the flexible date option to continue your search. #101767A "
Aug 11, 2017, 6:28 am
#12
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Has anyone tried first searching with flexible dates for tickets paid with money and then switching to miles on the screen with the calendar grid?
Aug 11, 2017, 8:17 am
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,043
It always shows the flexible dates view now when searching for awards -- either from the front page (where it will ignore the "exact dates" selection if specified) or from the the advanced search from. This is the default view now and there is no need to start your search with flexible dates for a revenue ticket. In fact, the only way I have found to do an "exact dates" search for award tickets is to first start your search with the "money" selection, and then select the "miles" option after it has returned a list of flights. Note that it will not remember this and will go back to the flexible dates view if you do a new search for award tickets.
Aug 11, 2017, 3:06 pm
#15
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,535
It always shows the flexible dates view now when searching for awards -- either from the front page (where it will ignore the "exact dates" selection if specified) or from the the advanced search from. This is the default view now and there is no need to start your search with flexible dates for a revenue ticket. In fact, the only way I have found to do an "exact dates" search for award tickets is to first start your search with the "money" selection, and then select the "miles" option after it has returned a list of flights. Note that it will not remember this and will go back to the flexible dates view if you do a new search for award tickets.
I tried and got the same issue from the Advanced Search:
Error
Oh no! We're sorry, but there are not enough seats available on this flight to complete your booking. Please try selecting the flexible date option to continue your search. #101767A
(but you cannot select Flexible option from the Advanced Search).
Although it's possible I chose a "bad pair" as I deliberately chose something that doesn't have daily availability:
JFK-> MLE
It's definitely not searching flexible.
JFK -> MLE
3/3/18 - 3/10/18
First Class
2 tickets
Get the error.
Change the dates to something I vaguely recall that this flight only does like 2 days/week on Thursdays, so I changed to:
JFK -> MLE
3/4/18 - 3/11/18
First Class
2 tickets
Get the error
Now, if I do the SAME search, but go to the main page, instead of the Advanced menu, and choose "Flexible", then it magically finds stuff and gives me a calendar view for days for:
JFK -> MLE
3/4/18 - 3/11/18
First Class
2 tickets
So that seems to show that it does *not* always default to flexible view, at least when doing the Advanced Search.