Booking KL/MF BER/SHA TYO/SHA

Old Feb 1, 2019, 9:35 am
  #16  
 
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Originally Posted by thrwwrtlvsn
That is very good to know. I actually tried to do a few simulation on Flight Network and apparently whenever there is a MF-coded on KL flight, it is not possible to choose your seat during booking but it is possible on KL-coded ones.
BudgetAir returns an all MF-coded flight with business on KL-operated legs without the choice to choose any seat (even MF flights). It is still showing they are in business before finalizing the payment.
If you can find a MF coded European in business class even after payment please share the name as this will be helpful for others

If your flight is MF coded but KL operated you cannot select seats until OLCI. KLM website will still show the itinerary but will not show a link to assign seats (even paid in Eco) on shorthaul or long-haul flights.
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Old Feb 1, 2019, 9:38 am
  #17  
siw
 
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Originally Posted by thrwwrtlvsn
So siw, do you confirm what I assume? Because I believe it would make much more sense to book an all MF-coded flight than having some segments in KL code for the purpose of collecting miles.
Yes, I go with all MF flight numbers on MF aircraft and MF codeshare flight numbers in KL aircraft so that all the Flying Blue Miles are determined by the distance, cabin class bonus and elite status bonus. Otherwise, a flight with a KL flight number within the trip will have FB Miles based on the base fare of that particular flight. I can never find the price of the individal flights and the Miles based on the revenue for these discount business class tickets will always (never found a ticket that proves this wrong) lower. For me I always try to get the codeshare flights instead of KL flight numbers, so it is a shame CZ have opted out of SkyTeam as that reduces the choices of my LHR-AMS-Asia options, but MF has been good so far.
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Old Feb 1, 2019, 10:07 am
  #18  
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Originally Posted by siw
Yes, I go with all MF flight numbers on MF aircraft and MF codeshare flight numbers in KL aircraft so that all the Flying Blue Miles are determined by the distance, cabin class bonus and elite status bonus. Otherwise, a flight with a KL flight number within the trip will have FB Miles based on the base fare of that particular flight. I can never find the price of the individal flights and the Miles based on the revenue for these discount business class tickets will always (never found a ticket that proves this wrong) lower. For me I always try to get the codeshare flights instead of KL flight numbers, so it is a shame CZ have opted out of SkyTeam as that reduces the choices of my LHR-AMS-Asia options, but MF has been good so far.
Thank you for the confirmation, this is what I suspected. I think it would be very hard to find the breakdown of these MF flights, especially for these intra-European legs if they are KL-coded. Have you ever had a MF/KL flight credited to FB?

Originally Posted by endet
If you can find a MF coded European in business class even after payment please share the name as this will be helpful for others

If your flight is MF coded but KL operated you cannot select seats until OLCI. KLM website will still show the itinerary but will not show a link to assign seats (even paid in Eco) on shorthaul or long-haul flights.
I believe the ones I have mentioned (Flight Network and BudgetAir) are able to fiind MF-coded European business class. I went as far as the last step before payment but I obviously could not check further.
Do you guys have any feedback on both? Flight Network seems to be more well-known while the latter belongs to Travix International B.V.

That is good to know about the seat selection, it kinda match what the MF operator told me over phone.
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Old Feb 1, 2019, 10:12 am
  #19  
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Originally Posted by thrwwrtlvsn
Thank you for the confirmation, this is what I suspected. I think it would be very hard to find the breakdown of these MF flights, especially for these intra-European legs if they are KL-coded. Have you ever had a MF/KL flight credited to FB?
Yes, I've had previous KL/MF flights creditted to my FB account, which was a KL ticket. My forthcoming MF ticket will be OK for FB.
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Old Feb 1, 2019, 10:24 am
  #20  
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Thanks for the confirmation! I never quite understood how FB can price the KL segment and therefore grant the revenue-based miles within a KL/MF ticket. At least Matrix does not show that.
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Old Feb 1, 2019, 10:47 am
  #21  
 
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Originally Posted by thrwwrtlvsn
Thanks for the confirmation! I never quite understood how FB can price the KL segment and therefore grant the revenue-based miles within a KL/MF ticket. At least Matrix does not show that.
Because they know for how much they are selling it to MF, MF just includes it into their calculation for a point to point fare.
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Old Feb 2, 2019, 3:28 pm
  #22  
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Make sense, thanks!
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Old Feb 5, 2019, 1:58 pm
  #23  
 
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Hi, Any update if you could book the flights for the low fare and the intra European flights with KLM?

On Vayama aka BudegtAir the flights are MF coded and with a 20 hour layover on the outbound in AMS for the low fare.
On Flightnetwork they are KL coded, but 13 lhours ayover in AMS on the outbound and it is one thousand Euros more for the same date. Not sure if that would be worth it.
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Old Feb 6, 2019, 3:21 pm
  #24  
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Hey endet,

Apologies for the late reply. Unfortunately I did not book the flights yet because I was waiting for some confirmation from my work.

I have seen that the flights are not at the price and the availability they used to nor on Flight Network/BudgetAir/Vayama/etc. I have found that Xiamen is still pricing the flights at the correct price but still in Y for the intra-European legs. My bet is to wait a few days to see if the price reverts to the usual ones, otherwise I do think it is not worth it.

By the way, I have found on BudgetAir a 5 hour layover instead of your 20. I guess it is slowly reverting to what we have seen before
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Old Feb 6, 2019, 10:05 pm
  #25  
 
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Originally Posted by thrwwrtlvsn
Hey endet,

Apologies for the late reply. Unfortunately I did not book the flights yet because I was waiting for some confirmation from my work.

I have seen that the flights are not at the price and the availability they used to nor on Flight Network/BudgetAir/Vayama/etc. I have found that Xiamen is still pricing the flights at the correct price but still in Y for the intra-European legs. My bet is to wait a few days to see if the price reverts to the usual ones, otherwise I do think it is not worth it.

By the way, I have found on BudgetAir a 5 hour layover instead of your 20. I guess it is slowly reverting to what we have seen before
Hi thrwwrtlvsn, thanks for the reply.

Sorry, I have completely forgotten to mention the itinerary I am looking for so that we can compare results.
DUB-MNL 25/10/2019 - 08/11/2019

Maybe you would like to share any itinerary (even a fake one) so that we have some data points to actually find an OTA that is consistently selling the intra European flight in C instead of Y.
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Old Feb 7, 2019, 7:46 am
  #26  
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On BudgetAir/Flight Network, I could only find one MF flight on your given date and it is the one with a 13-hour layover at AMS. Not sure it is worth it though.
On Justfly, there are many choices available but you will need to settle your ticket in USD.

But it is quite strange that all fares for the flight I am looking for disappeared on all OTAs...only Justfly seems to be able to find it.
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Old Feb 7, 2019, 1:10 pm
  #27  
 
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Originally Posted by thrwwrtlvsn
On BudgetAir/Flight Network, I could only find one MF flight on your given date and it is the one with a 13-hour layover at AMS. Not sure it is worth it though.
On Justfly, there are many choices available but you will need to settle your ticket in USD.

But it is quite strange that all fares for the flight I am looking for disappeared on all OTAs...only Justfly seems to be able to find it.
I would be very cautious if one OTA can find these flights but non other. And unless the ticket is issued the travel class is not confirmed.

MF has sometimes the same availability issue on their own website. When I booked my next itinerary I was able to get the outbound shorthaul on KL code. If I try the same booking again its all MF code regardless of the day.
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Old Feb 7, 2019, 2:23 pm
  #28  
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I checked again, they appear now again on most OTAs.

FN shows them at the non-discounted price.
Justfly is unable to price the full trip in business, the first intra-European shorthaul is now in economy. I quickly checked on KLM and there are plenty of business seats available on that flight.
The availability on MF website remains the same.

This whole booking process on MF is a bit messy...
What OTA did you use to book your itinerary?
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Old Jun 14, 2019, 8:21 am
  #29  
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After travelling on a booked MF discount business ticket LHR-AMS-XMN-HKG rtn with the LHR-AMS-LHR flights on a KL codeshare (in Economy) in the springtime I am looking at a another ticket for the Winter holiday, since MF was a good prince and the B789 has OK seats. ITA Matrix (see image) is listing the 1st MF entry as LHR-AMS in KL with business class booking code I, whereas the 2nd and 3rd has the LHR-AMS flight in KL economy booking code Y. These are the same price. Any idea how to book this KL codeshare I coded ticket (I tried at the MF website) but it is not an option, as ITA MAtrix lists? Or is ITA Matrix incorrect to list them?
Thanks

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Old Jun 14, 2019, 10:22 am
  #30  
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You would be advised to call or visit a (human) travel agent
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