const3

Wondering if anyone heard an update on this issue. Zero JFK-SVO availability on any dates and the connecting flight I checked that show available also fail to book at the end giving an error. I thought about booking one way business JFK-SVO-TLL and just skipping the last leg, but ran into that error. Just seems crazy to have no partner availability of any sort and not give an explanation.

RealHJ

Still no SU availability also IME. Shows in search, but fails at ticketing. Then after a while stops showing.

This is not uncommon, in that there's been times when other airlines and or routes have been zero'ed out for a long time. I mean some airlines and routes have been blocked by DL for years. For example, HNL-ICN (KE52-53/54-55) route is completely blocked and has been for some 4+ years. Never, ever, available in O or X: blocked completely (have to book KE1-2 HNL-NRT instead).

This airline wide blockage (by SU I suspect, not DL) is sort of like NZ (or to a certain degree QF) never being available to book in *A. Happens in all alliances. Some airlines just don't cooperate and don't release almost any - and sometimes literally no - awards to others in the alliance. Other times the ticketing airline blocks it, like DL - I suspect (or could be KE) - blocking most route if not all KE flights Fri, Sat & Sun (leaving only Mon-Thu available).

CPMaverick

I've booked NZ several times with UA miles. I've never really had an issue finding what I want, +/- a day or two max. All pacific-only flights though. I can say with certainty, 'never' is not the right word, unless you mean a particular route.

RealHJ

You're right. I've only searched for HNL-AKL. Never, not once, seen it available, from 1 to 350 or what not days out that UA allows you to search, and searched on ANA and Aeroplan also. Never even one seat available. That seems to be just like HNL-ICN on KE: totally blocked.

damaxer91

Is Aeroflot totally denying access to partners? Expert Flyer shows 5-7 seats on some days and DL/KE/FB show nothing. Has anyone attempted to get call center to try and book manually?

const3

There is clearly a glitch or a purposeful change of Aeroflot policy, but the agents refuse to admit it. They just say there is no availability "that day"....

damaxer91

Seems that this "glitch" also affects Flying Blue, but there are some days they have seats while Delta doesnt.

lewinr

indeed this is very odd, lots of O class availability on dates in Sept SVO-CDG , but neither DL, KE, AZ nor AF show any availability. However other SU destinations like GVA and FCO have seats available in O class and DL/KE/AZ/AF show availability, so the problem is only for some specific routes like CDG.

However it is not consistent for all partners for all days. For example, AZ showed no availability on the SVO-LAX route for any seats in business or eceonomy from mid-september until the end of the year, whereas DL showed just a few days with availability and AF shows significantly more days with both business and economy awards available. (I didnt check KE). So I doubt it is a general limitation from the side of Aeroflot but something more complex is going on...

Perhaps now Skyteam is using a system where partners provide cost of awards rather than simply a quantity of seats available, and each partner decides whether they are willing to offer them or not...

RealHJ

That is highly unlikely, as that would require a well-coordinated by all airlines update and further integration of the reservation systems. When has been the strength of SkyTeam (or any alliance, for that matter)?

lewinr

true, but I dont know how to explain the current situation.

RealHJ

I know. Same here. It may be intentional blocking, but most likely and realistically is just crappy and buggy reservations systems using cached/outdated data. Unless you try to ticket it, you can't really know if what you are seeing is really available and bookable or not. (Happens to all airlines. AA sometimes shows AY flights phantom availability also. Other times it doesn't show AY flights online, but if you see it online on BA.com and call to book then it is available and you can still book it. Here I mean, unless you call DL and try to get a competent agent to really try to search for and book the SU flights you are not seeing on delta.com, you can't really know are they really not available for booking, or just not showing up in standard (buggy) searches.)

For all that is holy and good in the universe I certainly hope that DL/SkyTeam are not moving to a revenue-based award pricing model across multiple airlines (i.e. SkyTeam/partner) awards. I am hoping and praying that the sheer complexity of implementing that is past the competence levels of DL IT (or any airline/alliance, for that matter).

damaxer91

Seems all SU premium seats are gone. Even to third country via SVO

const3

any update on this ?

lewinr

a friend of mine who is close to the situation tells me that aeroflot has pulled all transatlantic inventory and is trying to renegotiate rates, whatever that means. He says it might be resolved within 1-2 months, but no guarantee.

const3

thanks ! that makes sense. good info.