Why so much B?
Mar 7, 2008 | 4:03 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2005
Programs: DL Million Miler
Posts: 1,976
Why so much B?
I'm looking at my next week's DTW-LGW flight and it is listed as:
J3 C5 I0 Z0 Y3 B9 M6 H6 Q3 V0 L5 T3 K6
3 Y seats and 9 B seats? Then a coach bucket with 5, plus a full house in 6's and 3's.
Just to see what would happen, I went to reservations and asked for 4 one-way coach seats--and they were available, as a "B2US" fare.
Why would there be many more B seats than Y in availablilty (B is usually a subset of full Y availability)--and just how close to oversold might this flight actually "B"?
J3 C5 I0 Z0 Y3 B9 M6 H6 Q3 V0 L5 T3 K6
3 Y seats and 9 B seats? Then a coach bucket with 5, plus a full house in 6's and 3's.
Just to see what would happen, I went to reservations and asked for 4 one-way coach seats--and they were available, as a "B2US" fare.
Why would there be many more B seats than Y in availablilty (B is usually a subset of full Y availability)--and just how close to oversold might this flight actually "B"?
Mar 7, 2008 | 4:48 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
You also see that C > J on that flight.
Mar 7, 2008 | 5:34 pm
#3
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: DTW
Programs: Dirt Status w/ All
Posts: 5,049
B is the new Y. 
Mar 7, 2008 | 6:02 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2005
Programs: DL Million Miler
Posts: 1,976
>>>>B is the new Y.
Bour analbsis is positivelb uncannb.
Bour analbsis is positivelb uncannb.
Mar 7, 2008 | 6:03 pm
#5
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: TPA, PHL
Programs: NW: SE & WC
Posts: 2,136
I'm looking at my next week's DTW-LGW flight and it is listed as:
J3 C5 I0 Z0 Y3 B9 M6 H6 Q3 V0 L5 T3 K6
3 Y seats and 9 B seats? Then a coach bucket with 5, plus a full house in 6's and 3's.
Just to see what would happen, I went to reservations and asked for 4 one-way coach seats--and they were available, as a "B2US" fare.
Why would there be many more B seats than Y in availablilty (B is usually a subset of full Y availability)--and just how close to oversold might this flight actually "B"?
J3 C5 I0 Z0 Y3 B9 M6 H6 Q3 V0 L5 T3 K6
3 Y seats and 9 B seats? Then a coach bucket with 5, plus a full house in 6's and 3's.
Just to see what would happen, I went to reservations and asked for 4 one-way coach seats--and they were available, as a "B2US" fare.
Why would there be many more B seats than Y in availablilty (B is usually a subset of full Y availability)--and just how close to oversold might this flight actually "B"?
Three days next week don't follow that logic:
J4 C5 I0 Z1 Y9 B9 M9 H9 Q9 V9 L9 T9 K9
J6 C7 I0 Z4 Y9 B9 M9 H9 Q9 V9 L9 T9 K9
J3 C5 I0 Z0 Y3 B9 M6 H6 Q3 V0 L5 T3 K6
The other four days all follow the norm.
Mar 8, 2008 | 2:45 am
#6
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: DTW
Programs: DL 0.22 MM, AA 0.34 MM, PC Plat Amb, Hertz #1 GC 5*
Posts: 7,511
I've also seen a lot of T3K9, even a few T0K9, on other routes. Not sure why. Anyone have any ideas?
Steve B.
Steve B.
Mar 8, 2008 | 5:52 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: LAX/BOS/HKG/AMS/SFO...hmm, I need a life.
Programs: United1K, AA ExPlAAt, DL MM/Gold, Hilton Diamond, Avis First
Posts: 13,316
Mar 8, 2008 | 7:23 am
#8
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: SYD+HND+GFK
Programs: UA 1K, QF Plat One, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold, Coles FlyBuys
Posts: 2,828
I've seen this sort of thing on rare occasions before, not sure if I've seen it on NW. If anyone could explain the logic I'd appreciate it as well.
Mar 8, 2008 | 7:33 am
#9
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: LAX
Programs: Fallen DL DM (PM) 2MM
Posts: 4,783
I've also seen similar wierdness in the award calendar from time to time -- PerkSaver available but PerkPass not.
Mar 8, 2008 | 11:09 pm
#10
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: NWA WorldPerks
Posts: 83
Perkpass uses Y bucket so it restricts perkpass awards.
Y upgrades to Z so that restricts full fare upgrades.
Some B fares have penalties for changes and others do not whereas Y is generally fully refundable.
Y fares are eligible for select seating where B fares arent...usually although ELite status makes that a semi non-issue at least for elites.
$0.02 Cha-ching
Y upgrades to Z so that restricts full fare upgrades.
Some B fares have penalties for changes and others do not whereas Y is generally fully refundable.
Y fares are eligible for select seating where B fares arent...usually although ELite status makes that a semi non-issue at least for elites.
$0.02 Cha-ching
Mar 9, 2008 | 12:44 am
#11
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: SYD+HND+GFK
Programs: UA 1K, QF Plat One, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold, Coles FlyBuys
Posts: 2,828
Did you see PerkPass N/A but PerkSaver available on a NW/CO/KL flight?
Mar 9, 2008 | 8:25 am
#12
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: LAX
Programs: Fallen DL DM (PM) 2MM
Posts: 4,783
Yes, it was a NW flight. It was few months ago so I don't remember the details, it was probably LAX-DTW-FRA or back since that was what I was looking for a the time. It was after they changed the search engine. I assumed that the two pull out of different fare buckets and somehow they had gotten "out of whack" -- much like the OP on this thread noticed strange fare bucket availability.
Mar 9, 2008 | 11:10 pm
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist & Ambassador: China
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: DL DM/MM, UA 1K, AA Exp, HH Dia, WOH Glob, IHG Plat, Marriott Gold, NA EE, Hertz PC
Posts: 17,494
Is it possible that availability queries don't accurately reflect true availability? 
Was waiting for my EUA on SJU-DTW. Showed P2F2 right after the PE EUA (I'm guessing cause it was P7F7 seven days out). Seat maps confimed this with two open FC seats (not that we should ever use seatmaps to confirm anything but our seat assignment).
Today was the 4 day window, my GE EUA cleared ^, BUT availability is still showing P2F2. Here's the kicker, seat maps shows 8 open seats in FC (plane is a 320). So, unless the same # of PNR cancellations = the number of GE's getting cleared, something is screwy...
Go figure.
Was waiting for my EUA on SJU-DTW. Showed P2F2 right after the PE EUA (I'm guessing cause it was P7F7 seven days out). Seat maps confimed this with two open FC seats (not that we should ever use seatmaps to confirm anything but our seat assignment).
Today was the 4 day window, my GE EUA cleared ^, BUT availability is still showing P2F2. Here's the kicker, seat maps shows 8 open seats in FC (plane is a 320). So, unless the same # of PNR cancellations = the number of GE's getting cleared, something is screwy...
Go figure.
Mar 10, 2008 | 1:59 am
#14
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: TPA, PHL
Programs: NW: SE & WC
Posts: 2,136
Is it possible that availability queries don't accurately reflect true availability?
Was waiting for my EUA on SJU-DTW. Showed P2F2 right after the PE EUA (I'm guessing cause it was P7F7 seven days out). Seat maps confimed this with two open FC seats (not that we should ever use seatmaps to confirm anything but our seat assignment).
Today was the 4 day window, my GE EUA cleared ^, BUT availability is still showing P2F2. Here's the kicker, seat maps shows 8 open seats in FC (plane is a 320). So, unless the same # of PNR cancellations = the number of GE's getting cleared, something is screwy...
Go figure.
Was waiting for my EUA on SJU-DTW. Showed P2F2 right after the PE EUA (I'm guessing cause it was P7F7 seven days out). Seat maps confimed this with two open FC seats (not that we should ever use seatmaps to confirm anything but our seat assignment).
Today was the 4 day window, my GE EUA cleared ^, BUT availability is still showing P2F2. Here's the kicker, seat maps shows 8 open seats in FC (plane is a 320). So, unless the same # of PNR cancellations = the number of GE's getting cleared, something is screwy...
Go figure.