Flight Loading
 

Flying early next week from LGW to DXB in F. Is the loading shown in expetflyer usually fairly accurate as to the eventual number of passengers actually flying in the cabin on the day.. Flight seems to be fairly light in both F & J. Flight is EK10.

Are skywards members allowed to upgrade with miles/cash on the day at the airport? . Do EK give pro active upgrades at online check in?

Usually, but in extreme load cases in a particular class, no. For instance, if Y is zeroed out, you don't know if that's -3 seats or -50 (which is the case in some Asian stations at the moment!). Actually if it's -50, they start to close out J and F too, but you get my point - EF might show availability, but that cabin may in fact be overbooked and they are going to op-up people instead.

You can upgrade with miles or cash at the airport yet, if the controller allows it (it is usually available on a space-available basis, but even then, controllers may be expecting few no-shows are are overbooked, even though space may look vacant on a seat map). There aren't proactive upgrade offers in the vein of BA, but sometimes if there is mileage availability they offer it there as well.

Current loading is F4A4J7C7I7O7P4Y9E9R9W9M9B9U9K9H0Q9L9T9V9X9

EF shows 5 seats taken in F.

Looks like a wide open flight - but of course there is no guarantee: there might be a couple of people who want last minute F staff travel, or J-F upgrades on the day.

5/14 is pretty empty, but even 14/14 I don't think it is going to have much of an impact on service levels.

Just to add to comments already made : of the three long haul sectors I flew in F last month, one of them was showing 6/14 (A380) and the other two (777) were showing either 2/8 or 1/8 right up until T-24.

The A380 ended up 12/14, and both the 777's went out full in F (in the case of one, across ALL cabins).

That's not to say it happens that way every time ; but I've long ago given up trying to second-guess actual take-off loads using either EF or even EK's own seats occupied map......

It's easier on the 777

The 380 can show 999999 in y but it can be over by 50 plus if j is empty.

I have had the opposite experience: in the days leading up to a DXB-MLE-CMB flight (I was heading to CMB), including at T-24, it was showing 8/8 per the EK website and Expertflyer. When I checked in online at T-4 it fell to 6/8; sitting in the F lounge, it fell again to 4/8, which meant I could change seats. I guess it was possible that there were misconnections.

Indeed - it can be either way. The lesson I think is that you can never know! I was once on an overbooked by 20 Y flight, there I was expecting an op-up but no beep. I later find out that they lost 30 people in connecting :D

I think it is just not worth stress of trying to set expectations on how many other people there are in the cabin with you. The only way you can do that reliably is if you have staff friends who can reliably check loads for you. Otherwise it's just hassle - book your flight in the class you want to fly and don't let expectations get away with you :D

It's easier to predict at out stations people tend to turn up! Ex Dxb all bets are off!

You've pretty much said it all, eternal :cool: