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 ).

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 ....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 )

[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!!