Availability
 

Have been monitoring seat availabilty on an upcoming QF 93 using www.flyaow.com/classamex.htm.

Why does it only show 9 seats for each class? Or am I miss reading it?

It is a useful tool, so would be interested to learn more about it.

9 means there are seats left in that certain class of ticket.

9 means 9+

So nine could mean 9 or 19 or 29.

Or 27, or 35 or 163.

Dave

But probably not 439, 486 or 552 (unltil the A380's go into the schedules http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif).

Also note that some airlines use other numbers for their max dislay value. For example, AA use 7 for meaning 7+ seats.

Thai use 4.

And award availability may or may not be shown - just to make life easier (not).

under the clocks, now that the children have had their fun http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif....the system only allows a one digit numeral (0 to 9) to indicate availability under each fare type available for sale on that flight.

Airlines, because of commercial sensitivity, don't want to broadcast to their competitors exactly how many seats there are available for sale. The maximum numbers shown are different for various airlies (as Wongo asserted, 4 is the TG maximum). Also, where there is a codeshare flight, the codeshare partner will usually only have a maximum of 4.

Thus the "true" number available will greater than or equal to that maximum number (whether 4 or 9) - where it shows for example "A9". Once there are less than the maximum seats avalable, it usually shows the true number of seats.

Whenever you see a U with a number next to it other than 0 on your flight, smile, ring up QF and grab it/them.

Now on that note, it's time for a HP (or Cascade Light, whichever is available in my office fridge http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/thumbsup.gif)

[This message has been edited by QF WP (edited Dec 11, 2003).]

"under the clocks, now that the children have had their fun ....the system only allows a one digit numeral (0 to 9) to indicate availability under each fare type available for sale on that flight."

Not true, QF WP - that is how the airlines have chosen to display the flight availability when it is accessible to those outside the airline.

For those within the carrier - using exactly the same software - it can often display the true availability - e.g. a command line entry of (for example):

AQF1/21DECSYDLHR might return something like:

F7 A2 Z0 J23 D17 U0 Y163 (and so on).

So it is not because the system only handles a single digit, it is because (as you later alluded to) the commercial sensitivities of the carriers.

Dave

Kiddies DO NOT try this at home.

It is possible to see exact availability numbers in a CRS by selling 9, re-displaying, selling the next 9, re-displaying, selling the next 9, etc until a number less than 9 shows, add up sold + number remaining gives total unsold. ALWAYS remember to IGNORE so the seats return to inventory.

This practise is frowned upon by airlines as it reduces seat inventory while you are holding, seats which may be being sought through another terminal.

>> Have been monitoring seat availabilty on an upcoming QF 93 using www.flyaow.com/classamex.htm <<

Would you mind explaining the process for doing this?

Please ignore my last post. I took the final period off the URL and now all is clear. Sorry for the dumb question.

Have been waitlisted for a week now for Business Class upgrades on QF1 up to BKK tomorrow - Tuesday - and back on Friday night on QF2.

ITN currently showing F4 A4 J5 D4 U0 Y9 on the QF1 outbound. What do you think the chances are for a lowly SG? Do you think that QF will recognise from my profile that I will be flying on my birthday and therefore 'award' me a pressie?

QF2 on the way back is showing F1 A0 J0 D0 U0 Y2 so I think I know the answer here!!

Martynriddle, may the op up Gods smile on you...as a present for your birthday, they should give you BOTH ways. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/thumbsup.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/thumbsup.gif

The gods were not smiling! What erks me is that two pax got op-upgd at the gate whilst I was queuing to board and I saw from their original BPs that they handed in that they were QF PB!! How does that work? How do PBs get op-upgd before SGs - especially those that had been waitlisted to spend credits?

To add to my sad mood, upon boarding the plane I found it had the refit and therefore Bus Class was full of flat beds! It actually looks quite strange, like a scene from Cocoon. I still think that BA does their flat bed Bus Class cabin better.

Thank you QF for my birthday pressie - NOT!!!

[This message has been edited by martynriddle (edited Dec 16, 2003).]

No, No martyn, we Silvers are the plebs. Bronze is NB. Sorry to hear you didn't get your upgrade. I was fortunate that the only time I've used upgrade credits (on a CHC-SYD 767 flight), I was waitlisted for only a couple of days before they confirmed it.

Bugger martynriddle, I also a Silver. I've requested for a upgrade from SYD-HKG on the from Business to First. Still waiting for them to confirm. As a silver and Surname is Wong. It looks very dull and doubtful with 5 revenue seats left on that flight. Good luck next time. O well, going to ring QF again to get a seat change.

The miserable people at QF awarded me nothing on my birthday when I used UC to upgrade from D to Z on HKG-SYD. The PJs ran out just before they got to me. Two emails in the last 4 weeks to QF on return have remained unanswered (in spite of the standard response saying "we'll look into it.."). Cabin crew were excellent but the back-up from the company (short loading and then ignoring my emailed complaints) spoiled the "1st experience".

Very poor form Qantas.

How does that work? How do PBs get op-upgd before SGs - especially those that had been waitlisted to spend credits?"

The waitlist had all finished by then. The selection for operational upgrading is a dark art. The persons may have been BA Golds for example , just that that information wasn't on their boarding pass. There is also nothing that says that Qantas must upgrade people based on status anyway, unless the handbook has changed

"Thank you QF for my birthday pressie - NOT!!!"

Ummm, why would you have expected anything because of it being your birthday? You probably wernt the only person on board with a birthday that day

Dave

You'll think it is even poorer form if you ever do get the PJs. They are really shoddy compared to the CX ones. I give them as Christmas presents to people I don't like (everyone loves them because of the QF logo). Usually they don't run out (except on day flights) but often have no selection of size.

Seemed strange to me as F was fully booked a month out (true - the two of us and a stack of World Cup Officials looking very stressed just before the Final). With that amount of notice, more accurate loadings should have been possible.

They may have been staff?

Not if they had FF details on their BP's. Staff are not allowed to join the FF program. But they may have been related to someone with the ability to "select" who received the op-up.

Poor form if you ask me. If they have done things properly they could have removed form UC's from the market, but alas no ...

As far as QF is concerned, I have learnt not too expect anything. However, this is where true customer relationship management should come in. I would have thought that they would have something set up in the system that displays on the manifest. As it was, the purser didnt come round and do his obligitory "personalised" SG greeting until 30 minutes before landing.

As for the two pax, I dont think that there was anyway they had staff connections - the look on their face was one of total surprise and absolute joy. Fair play and good luck to them.

Could have been they were travelling on a higher fare class than yourself?

I have had a few op-up's (many domestic, 1 international) and each time I am sure there have been other WP on the plane, but I was travelling on a full Y ticket.

They could have also been CIP.

Oh well, the gods certainly werent smiling. My waitlist upgrade for the return leg didnt come through either. And to top it off, the gods didnt put a priority tag on my baggage so after clearing immigration in record time, I had to wait another 30 mins for my bag.

My final disappointment has now come in the realisation that whereas a domestic B earns full economy SCs, its international brother is only classified as a discout fare. Therefore instead of earning 100 SCs, I only got 50, just about killing off my hopes of making WP this time round. I realise that rules is rules an all that but find it strange that a 1 hour shuttle to Melbourne generates only 5 SCs less than a 9 hour long haul to BKK.

Right, whinge off my chest. Time for a few consoling HPs.

Just do the SYD-Newcastle Dash8 shuttle a few times. At $42, its probably the cheapest way to get those missing SCs. But then, why go to Newcastle anyway?

Cue Shillard.........