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ExpertFlyer and Delta Air Lines: The Definitive Thread

ExpertFlyer and Delta Air Lines: The Definitive Thread

Old May 3, 2008, 2:31 pm
  #151  
 
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ATL-GIG Question on EF vs Seatmap

I'm well aware that the seatmap on delta.com is an unreliable indicator of available seats given seats not yet assigned but purchased, etc.

However, I'm noticing that for my flight (#61) on May 17, there are a whole 12 seats not yet claimed in BE (out of 36). Yet, only one seat is available for purchase according to both delta.com and EF.

Is this unusual? [33% of the total BE cabin not assigned with a full cabin?]

Clearly delta not want to prevent 11 seats to be eligible for full BE purchase?

Bob
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Old May 4, 2008, 7:22 pm
  #152  
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Originally Posted by meteobob
I'm well aware that the seatmap on delta.com is an unreliable indicator of available seats given seats not yet assigned but purchased, etc.

However, I'm noticing that for my flight (#61) on May 17, there are a whole 12 seats not yet claimed in BE (out of 36). Yet, only one seat is available for purchase according to both delta.com and EF.

Is this unusual? [33% of the total BE cabin not assigned with a full cabin?]

Clearly delta not want to prevent 11 seats to be eligible for full BE purchase?

Bob
Not terribly unusual. Group bookings often don't have assigned seats.
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Old May 18, 2008, 4:35 pm
  #153  
 
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ExpertFlyer Premium - thoughts and value?

I just want to get everyone's opinion as to the value they get out of ExpertFlyer and the main reasons they use it. I see more than a few people rave about it, get the general concept of it, but not sure how it 'works' ikn my world.

I have gone through their flash-demo, read posts on here, but never really saw a thread that has users list what it i they use the most and am really interested in that.

I am based in Atlanta, scheduled to hit platinum when the double mqm bonus hits, do a lot of transcon, rarely get to book flights more than 7 days in advance, take almost exclusively direct flights, and rarely if ever at my computer.

My questions are as follows:
- does it help me choose which flight of the day to take in order to maximize my chance of upgrade
- will it quickly help me choose the best fare class? I can't stand having to keep starting over on dl.com and see what fare costs what
- how effective is the mobile site?
- anything else that you see as value?

Thanks in advance for your assistance. This site has helped immensely, even though it has become close to an addiction.
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Old May 18, 2008, 4:47 pm
  #154  
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Originally Posted by bryice
I just want to get everyone's opinion as to the value they get out of ExpertFlyer and the main reasons they use it. I see more than a few people rave about it, get the general concept of it, but not sure how it 'works' ikn my world.

I have gone through their flash-demo, read posts on here, but never really saw a thread that has users list what it i they use the most and am really interested in that.

I am based in Atlanta, scheduled to hit platinum when the double mqm bonus hits, do a lot of transcon, rarely get to book flights more than 7 days in advance, take almost exclusively direct flights, and rarely if ever at my computer.

My questions are as follows:
- does it help me choose which flight of the day to take in order to maximize my chance of upgrade
- will it quickly help me choose the best fare class? I can't stand having to keep starting over on dl.com and see what fare costs what
- how effective is the mobile site?
- anything else that you see as value?

Thanks in advance for your assistance. This site has helped immensely, even though it has become close to an addiction.
As an AA flyer, I find EF invaluable. I don't believe it's quite as useful for DL flyers, as it doesn't show DL award buckets. However, it does have a wealth of information about fares, rules and routings, which I find very helpful. The premium edition also lets you save queries, which is a huge timesaver. Plus, at $8 a month, how can you go wrong?

And yes, FT is quite addictive. Welcome!
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Old May 18, 2008, 4:56 pm
  #155  
 
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Originally Posted by vasantn
As an AA flyer, I find EF invaluable. I don't believe it's quite as useful for DL flyers, as it doesn't show DL award buckets. However, it does have a wealth of information about fares, rules and routings, which I find very helpful. The premium edition also lets you save queries, which is a huge timesaver. Plus, at $8 a month, how can you go wrong?
It does, however, show the Delta upgrade buckets, which is the reason I won't be without it. I frequently travel internationally and use EF to choose the DL TATL flight with Z availability at booking. If nothing exists, it's invaluable in helping me the choose the TATL flight where the upgrade waitlist is most likely to clear. Consequently, I have no problem using all my PMUs. In fact, I've already used them all this year and will be burning through miles to upgrade for the rest of the year. EF makes all the difference...it's $10 a month well spent! (How are you getting it for $8 per month, vasantn?)
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Old May 18, 2008, 5:03 pm
  #156  
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Originally Posted by DLfan
It does, however, show the Delta upgrade buckets, which is the reason I won't be without it. I frequently travel internationally and use EF to choose the DL TATL flight with Z availability at booking. If nothing exists, it's invaluable in helping me the choose the TATL flight where the upgrade waitlist is most likely to clear. Consequently, I have no problem using all my PMUs. In fact, I've already used them all this year and will be burning through miles to upgrade for the rest of the year. EF makes all the difference...it's $10 a month well spent! (How are you getting it for $8 per month, vasantn?)
Maybe it's $9. I think it's about $108 for an annual subscription.
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Old May 18, 2008, 5:12 pm
  #157  
 
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Originally Posted by vasantn
Maybe it's $9. I think it's about $108 for an annual subscription.
$9.99 per month, to be exact (that's what I pay).
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Old May 18, 2008, 5:13 pm
  #158  
 
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EF is also a great resource when considering your SDC and standby options.
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Old May 18, 2008, 5:17 pm
  #159  
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Originally Posted by DLfan
$9.99 per month, to be exact (that's what I pay).
I think if you pay monthly, you pay more. Here's my renewal invoice (I pay annually):

Description: Amount:

ExpertFlyer.com Subscription $99.99
Premium Service: From 1/7/08 To 1/7/09
User Name: vasantn

Coupon Adjustment $0.00
Coupon Code: N/A

Query Adjustment $0.00
Number of Queries: 0

-------------------
Subtotal: $99.99
Tax: $8.37
Total: $108.36
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Old May 18, 2008, 7:45 pm
  #160  
 
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Originally Posted by vasantn
I think if you pay monthly, you pay more. Here's my renewal invoice (I pay annually)
Thanks. Didn't even know that was an option. I'll be changing my subscription.
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Old May 19, 2008, 12:41 am
  #161  
 
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Originally Posted by DLfan
It does, however, show the Delta upgrade buckets, which is the reason I won't be without it. I frequently travel internationally and use EF to choose the DL TATL flight with Z availability at booking. If nothing exists, it's invaluable in helping me the choose the TATL flight where the upgrade waitlist is most likely to clear. Consequently, I have no problem using all my PMUs. In fact, I've already used them all this year and will be burning through miles to upgrade for the rest of the year. EF makes all the difference...it's $10 a month well spent! (How are you getting it for $8 per month, vasantn?)
Ditto this entire post.

With the premium service, you can also set up email alerts. I've just booked a TATL in M class with Z confirmed on the TATL portion. However, there is no G/Z available on the domestic flights, for which I'm waitlisted on DL.com.

I've set up alerts in EF to tell me when/if those buckets become available, so I can call DL to get the waitlists cleared since I understand here on FT that it doesn't always happen automatically.

Susan
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Old May 19, 2008, 1:20 am
  #162  
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I subscribe to ExpertFlyer and find it very useful. Whether it is worth the money is another question, but $10 per month is low enough that I can just forget about it.

Obviously, the big advantage of this over a lot of other services is the award and upgrade buckets. Yes, you only get the upgrade buckets for DL, but this is pretty big, if you ask me. Also, you get award buckets for AF, NW (+ upgrades), OK, and AS, which can be a big help when looking to use miles.

I also really like the basic information. Yeah, I can get schedules elsewhere, but EF really presents the information in a really nice way. You can search across a full week of flights, and have a quick glance at fare bucket availability. The seat map function works pretty well. And it is nice to have the fare rules available (though the format can be hard to read). All in all, it is very useful. And the interface is very easy to use.
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Old May 19, 2008, 1:23 am
  #163  
 
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I fly DL pretty much exclusively, and I found EF to be pretty much useless. I had the premium subscription for 2 months and recently cancelled it.

I was unable to view upgrade inventory on about 70% of my flights.

A couple of flights didn't even appear to exist, according to EF!

The interface has a lot to be desired. I actually found DL.com faster and easier to use.
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Old May 19, 2008, 3:25 am
  #164  
 
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I've personally used the email alerts to help clear my wife on B or Y fares into Z (using miles) on NWA from AMS-BOS multiple times in the past year.

The convenience, and the fact that I know when availability is there --- is worth it alone. (and the value helping to clear a 15K mile upgrade from Y to J is worth the annual fee, IMO)

I've also used it to check up on Delta V buckets, but more so, as a curiosity.

Be aware that V bucket information can be a bit flaky, you often have to "request" the specific V bucket information (for DL) on your routes/flight searches.
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Old May 19, 2008, 5:51 am
  #165  
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Originally Posted by Jazzop
I was unable to view upgrade inventory on about 70% of my flights.

A couple of flights didn't even appear to exist, according to EF!

The interface has a lot to be desired.
You may be doing something wrong. The interface is definitely quirky and needs some improvement, and sometimes you have to try your queries with different times selected because of the way in which the GDS returns the data.

Originally Posted by baccarat_king
Be aware that V bucket information can be a bit flaky, you often have to "request" the specific V bucket information (for DL) on your routes/flight searches.
Not often; always. Hidden fare buckets must be queried separately.
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