danielonn

I have a flight from SJC-LIH-SJC and can still book it today if I wanted it at $490 r/t WGA vs the $416 r/t at time of booking although we used miles and only had to purchase two one ways at $208 o/w. Does this mean that our flight will not be fully booked for this Friday?

Interesting to see how the load vs. price factor is.

joshua362

One would thing logically so but I've seen it illogically so, both ways. Meaning I've booked last minute (day before), gotten a WGA fare only to see it packed, and only being able to buy AT/BS fares and it was half empty. Probably route dependent too. So who can tell. Perhaps the attempted fake "purchase" of 8 seats is a better tell?

danielonn

You hit it on the nickel!

SWAVictor

It depends on your definition of "fully booked".

Using the literal definition of zero seats empty:

Since we no longer overbook in normal circumstances (irops may break this rule at times), if any seat is available in any fare product, then the flight isn't "fully booked".
However, as noted above, you may be able to get a WGA fare even on the last seat that is still available for sale, depending on the rules of that fare, and the inventory.
While WGA fares typically have an advance purchase requirement (21, 14, 7, 3, and 1 are the most common), they can also be offered for same day (no AP req'd).

If the flight shows sold out in all fare products, then every seat has been sold.
Of course, that still doesn't mean there won't be any empty seats on the flight (last minute changes, standby for other flights, no shows, etc.)

NoStressHere

And what is totally unknown at this point is

* will another flight get cancelled/delayed and all those folks move to your plane creating a 100% flight?
* all kinds of other reasons.