Is variable award availability per status a new thing?
Oct 14, 2023, 4:41 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2007
Location: LON, UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 373
Is variable award availability per status a new thing?
I have been looking to book three business award seats LHR-HEL one way and in the process of doing this, I checked availability as Platinum (me) and Gold (my partner).
Have found some odd differences in availability, which I am not sure are policy or perhaps just a usual AY glitch - curious to know if this is a known thing and apologies if this is already well established
So random dates for summer 24 with AY1332 (10:20 DEP on A350) one-way award only
Personally a policy like one extra seat, guaranteed one seat or something similar would make some sense, but the difference in the above has little logic to me...
Does anyone know more?
Have found some odd differences in availability, which I am not sure are policy or perhaps just a usual AY glitch - curious to know if this is a known thing and apologies if this is already well established
So random dates for summer 24 with AY1332 (10:20 DEP on A350) one-way award only
- Gold - ZERO business award availability
- Platinum - up to three business awards available
Personally a policy like one extra seat, guaranteed one seat or something similar would make some sense, but the difference in the above has little logic to me...
Does anyone know more?
Oct 14, 2023, 7:24 am
#3
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Espoo
Programs: AY
Posts: 158
Oct 14, 2023, 7:26 am
#4
Join Date: May 2013
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Plat (OWE), SK EBG (*A Gold), KQ Plat (STE+), Accor Plat
Posts: 3,157
Oct 14, 2023, 12:45 pm
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: HEL
Programs: lots of shiny metal cards
Posts: 14,107
Oct 14, 2023, 10:58 pm
#7
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Seat 1L these days :)
Programs: AF Platinum/AY LUMO/SK EBG/baEC S/HYATT Globalist/MR LTP/A3 *G/HH Dia/IHG plat
Posts: 7,967
I doubt we will see any tier point purchase promos but I would have thought we would see some ay100 promos like a 2x or 3x tier points for flights purchased but its been slim pickings
Oct 14, 2023, 11:39 pm
#8
Join Date: Apr 2005
Programs: AF/KL FB Plat ; A3 Gold ; HH Gold ; IHG Plat Amb
Posts: 2,380
I think it is rather the opposite: CS cannot see this platinum availability, had the issue last year when J was available as award for platinum but CS could not apply an upgrade voucher because it looked unavailable for them.
Oct 15, 2023, 4:22 am
#9
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Platinum, TK Elite, BT VIP, AA, BA, SK, DL, NT, WB + hotels
Posts: 8,758
I've had this same problem when trying to move dates on an award. Did not know it was due to this. Is there any way to get around this?
Oct 15, 2023, 10:40 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2007
Location: LON, UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 373
Good to know for future - thanks!
I really struggle to understand why AY or any other airline for that matter would have any interest in unpublished status perks. Clearly the value of an 'extra perk' is entirely unappreciated by people who unknowingly benefit from them...and presumably this could be quite a large number of amateur plats? Had I not looked into this I would have booked those 3 awards and been none the wiser... Also it does nothing to increase the appeal of a higher status level unless you're 'in the know'
I really struggle to understand why AY or any other airline for that matter would have any interest in unpublished status perks. Clearly the value of an 'extra perk' is entirely unappreciated by people who unknowingly benefit from them...and presumably this could be quite a large number of amateur plats? Had I not looked into this I would have booked those 3 awards and been none the wiser... Also it does nothing to increase the appeal of a higher status level unless you're 'in the know'
Oct 15, 2023, 11:23 am
#11
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 2,685
Good to know for future - thanks!
I really struggle to understand why AY or any other airline for that matter would have any interest in unpublished status perks. Clearly the value of an 'extra perk' is entirely unappreciated by people who unknowingly benefit from them...and presumably this could be quite a large number of amateur plats? Had I not looked into this I would have booked those 3 awards and been none the wiser... Also it does nothing to increase the appeal of a higher status level unless you're 'in the know'
I really struggle to understand why AY or any other airline for that matter would have any interest in unpublished status perks. Clearly the value of an 'extra perk' is entirely unappreciated by people who unknowingly benefit from them...and presumably this could be quite a large number of amateur plats? Had I not looked into this I would have booked those 3 awards and been none the wiser... Also it does nothing to increase the appeal of a higher status level unless you're 'in the know'
Oct 15, 2023, 11:41 am
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2007
Location: LON, UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 373
If you start advertising these benefits that are not always available (seat block, extra availability), some people will assume that it means there will always be availability and a seat block and complain. It's easier to avoid advertising benefits where you need a page full of disclaimers afterwards. Also offers the opportunity to discriminate within tiers, such as BA offering car rides and escorts to certain GGLs but not others.
Personally I'd just say that every year we make X more award seats available to our plat and lumo tiers and leave it at that. No need to specify where these seats are or which class but would become a known benefit that feels potentially more valuable than useless upgrade vouchers
Oct 15, 2023, 11:57 am
#13
Join Date: Jun 2022
Posts: 195
that would have been nice, but I did like the recent promo. I bought 200k points and got 200k bonus on top. not as good as previously where you also got some tier points, but I won't complain.
Oct 15, 2023, 1:04 pm
#14
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Seat 1L these days :)
Programs: AF Platinum/AY LUMO/SK EBG/baEC S/HYATT Globalist/MR LTP/A3 *G/HH Dia/IHG plat
Posts: 7,967
Very weak 100 year promo year 🤷♂️🤔
Oct 16, 2023, 11:34 am
#15
Join Date: May 2021
Posts: 66
I didn't see any PE or J awards to ICN in the spring with Ms Yrittajas gold account. However, found 2 seats for every single flight in both PE and J with my plat. Gold WA was able to book 2 PE awards for Ms Yrittaja when asking for the dates they wanted.