I've booked a D circle pacific, and my Eagle segments are booking into Y. Does this mean that I can credit htem to BA and get tier points?
Shawn

Yes, 20 TPs for each one.

3-class transcontinental flights will have a D class.

Absolutely, positively yes they would refuse that. That's even happened to me on more than one occasion.

Actually, I would - and I have worked there.

If the plane flies half empty, it is getting $X in revenue. If that LONEx goes towards that flight, then it is at least $X that goes towards the same flight. and that is one less L class seat that is available on another flight in a higher booking class.

Such is the intricacies of yield management.....

(I LOVED working there!)

Dave

As you can see, there are indeed airlines who will let the plane go without someone holding an A Class ticket.

A (and to a lesser extent D) class is somewhat different to L class though.

As many may have already noticed, I am a HUGE fan of getting people away early, as somebody who has already gone represents both the opportunity to sell their seat again, as well as one less body to deal with if things go pear-shaped. Thhis should NOT be done routinely however, otherwise people will come to expect it and won't pay for the higher fares.

Dave

(Who once had the last flight of the night, a fully booked 763, go unserviceable, and the ONLY replacement was a 762, and quite a large number of the passengers had arrived early on discounted fares and been refused transfer to earlier flights - I wish those checking them in had done so, as it would have meant I would NOT have had to find accommodation for them).

Some additional information

I have been able to downgrade to get on an earlier flight on a standby basis on the original confirmed day of travel even when L or D was not available. We all know that the rules for standby on any airline is what the gate agent allows you to do so no generalities can be drawn from that.

For advanced confirmed booking or re-booking I have many times been not allowed to fly in J on an AONE if no D was available and have also not been able to re-ticket to Y on a DONE if L was not available.

I can imagine that some travelers have seen exceptions. I have benefited from exceptions/mistakes on OW tickets also (flying on a TP code-share booked under the IB flight number and several times having the 10 day minimum trip length waved). The rules are the rules though even if they don't make sense.