Any way to tell when companion pass seats are open?
Sep 15, 2017, 1:35 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: SBN
Programs: I don't travel anymore
Posts: 123
Any way to tell when companion pass seats are open?
First time AMEX companion pass user. Trying to book spring break trip 3/31-4/7 on any of these itineraries:
SBN - TPA
IND - TPA
MDW - TPA
None are open. Any idea when (if at all), these will open up? ORD-TPA is open, but I'd prefer not to use ORD.
SBN - TPA
IND - TPA
MDW - TPA
None are open. Any idea when (if at all), these will open up? ORD-TPA is open, but I'd prefer not to use ORD.
Sep 15, 2017, 1:36 pm
#2
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SEA (the REAL Washington); occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
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DL revenue management opens and closes inventories on a random basis ... keep looking
you might also check nearby destinations like Sarasota or Fort Myers
you might also check nearby destinations like Sarasota or Fort Myers
Last edited by jrl767; Sep 15, 2017 at 2:05 pm
Sep 15, 2017, 1:45 pm
#3
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Have you used ITA Matrix (or other) to look for inventory for two meeting these conditions and found that Amex companion cert inventory is not available?
Seats are only available in L, U, T, X, V classes of service and may not be available on all flights or markets. Most fares require an advance purchase of up to 14 days, a 3 night minimum stay and a 30-day maximum stay.
Seats are only available in L, U, T, X, V classes of service and may not be available on all flights or markets. Most fares require an advance purchase of up to 14 days, a 3 night minimum stay and a 30-day maximum stay.
Sep 15, 2017, 1:50 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: SBN
Programs: I don't travel anymore
Posts: 123
Have you used ITA Matrix (or other) to look for inventory for two meeting these conditions and found that Amex companion cert inventory is not available?
Seats are only available in L, U, T, X, V classes of service and may not be available on all flights or markets. Most fares require an advance purchase of up to 14 days, a 3 night minimum stay and a 30-day maximum stay.
Seats are only available in L, U, T, X, V classes of service and may not be available on all flights or markets. Most fares require an advance purchase of up to 14 days, a 3 night minimum stay and a 30-day maximum stay.
Sep 15, 2017, 2:28 pm
#5
Join Date: Nov 2009
Programs: DL PM 1MM
Posts: 3,441
You could experiment with dates a few weeks before and after your desired dates, just to see if there's a pattern you can discern regarding availability.
DL is aware of peak travel patterns like spring break, so if you ever find a date that works for you, my suggestion would be to book it immediately.
Sep 15, 2017, 4:58 pm
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,062
Looks like no one actually bothered to search OPs dates. There's simply nothing lower than K available from the cities selected. It's got nothing to do with DL restricting inventory for the certs. I see L available for a couple of flights on MDW-TPA on 3/30-4/8. K fares are $521 rountrip for this route. A simple trick is to do a flexible dates flight search. If flights are pricing at $521 or higher you can assume they are K or higher fares and thus ineligible.
Last edited by xliioper; Sep 15, 2017 at 5:30 pm
Sep 15, 2017, 5:33 pm
#8
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Sep 15, 2017, 6:00 pm
#9
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Sep 15, 2017, 9:28 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: SBN
Programs: I don't travel anymore
Posts: 123
Looks like no one actually bothered to search OPs dates. There's simply nothing lower than K available from the cities selected. It's got nothing to do with DL restricting inventory for the certs. I see L available for a couple of flights on MDW-TPA on 3/30-4/8. K fares are $521 rountrip for this route. A simple trick is to do a flexible dates flight search. If flights are pricing at $521 or higher you can assume they are K or higher fares and thus ineligible.
Sep 15, 2017, 9:47 pm
#11
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No, they may very well open up - or they may not. Delta is withholding availability from the lower fare classes in hopes of capitalizing on high demand for spring break travel. It's still six months out, so they're not inclined to let people lock in seats for cheap. As the draws closer, if they see which flights aren't filling up quite as much as they'd hoped, they may start to add availability in the lower fare classes.
Sep 16, 2017, 4:05 pm
#12
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: LON, PDX
Programs: DL PM, AS MVP 75K, HH/SPG/MR Gold, Amex Plat, PRG, CSR
Posts: 2,064
You can either keep regularly checking Delta.com or you can set an Experflyer alerts for L, U, T, X, and V fares on the dates you want.
The real problem here is that you're trying to book way too far in advance. Even with spring break I wouldn't be trying to book until 2018, probably 2 months in advance or so. Airlines don't usually open low fare classes this far in advance.
The real problem here is that you're trying to book way too far in advance. Even with spring break I wouldn't be trying to book until 2018, probably 2 months in advance or so. Airlines don't usually open low fare classes this far in advance.