*A Booking Classes
 

This thread is an update on Patron's Booking Class Alignment. Information has come from many FTers - thanks for contributing.


Key
FC : First Class
*F : First Class listed in 2008 *A Reference Guide
BC : Business Class
*B : Business Class listed in 2008 *A Reference Guide
E+ : Premium Economy Class
*+ : Premium Economy Class listed in 2008 *A Reference Guide
EC : Economy Class
*E : Economy Class listed in 2008 *A Reference Guide


in regular faces : paid
in red italics : awards
in red underlined : upgrades


JP Adria
*F : <none>
*B : CDRZ I
*E : YBMHQVNWESGKLT X


AC Air Canada
(AC economy fare names)
FC : <none>
BC : JCDZ I R
*B : JCZI D
EC : YBMUHQVWSLAKNGPETO X
*E : YMBHVQLSURKNGPAET W


CA Air China
FC : FAP
*F : FAP O
BC : CDZJ
*B : CDRJ I
EC : YBHMKLQGSVUW
*E : YBMHQNVWKLGSUZTE X


NZ Air New Zealand
(NZ booking classes - includes names of express fare types)
FC : <none>
BC : CDRZJ I Z
*B : CDRZJ I
E+ : UEOA
*+ : UEO
EC : YBGHKLMNQSTVWP X
*E : YBMHQVWNTLSGKP X


NH ANA
FC : FA O
*F : FA O
BC : CDJZ I
*B : CDRJZ I
EC : YBMNWKLSTG X
*E : YBMHWNKLSTG X


OZ Asiana
FC : FAP O
*F : FA O
BC : CDRJZ I
*B : CDRJZ I
EC : U YEBMHQVFKWGLTN X
*E : YBMHQVWNELKSGT X


OS Austrian
FC : <none>
BC : CDRJ I
*B : CDRJ I
EC : YBMHQNVWGS X
*E : YBMHQVWNGSEKLTO X


KF Blue1
*F : <none>
*B : CDRAJ I
*E : YBMHQVWNOSEUKLTG X


BD BMI
Short haul
FC : <none>
BC : CDRJ I
*B : CDRJ I
EC : YBMHQNVWSKGTEO X
*E : YBMHQVWNSKGTEO X

Mid haul
*F : <none>
*B : CDRJAP I
*E : YBMHQVWNSKGTEO X

Long haul
FC : <none>
BC : CDRJ I
*B : CDRJ I
*+ : SLUZ
EC : UL Z YBMHQNVWTKG X
*E : YBMHQVWNKGTEO X


CO Continental Airlines
FC : FDZ OI
BC : JCZ OI R
EC : YBMHKQUVGWESTNL X

see also CO FAQ


OU Croatia Airlines
*F : <none>
*B : CDR I
*E : YBMHQNVWS X


MS EgyptAir
FC : O
BC : I
EC : X


LO LOT
needs updating, award classes are correct AFAIK but not necessarily the paid classes
FC : <none>
BC : JCD I
*B : CDRZ I
EC : YMLHKBGQW X
*E : YBMHQNVWEKSGTL X


LH Lufthansa
FC : FA O
*F : FA O
BC : CDRZ I
*B : CDRZ I
EC : YBMHQNVWESKLTGU X
*E : YBMHQNVWUSGKLTE X


SK SAS
FC : <none>
BC : ACDRJZ I
*B : CDRAJZ I
E+ : YSB inter-continental, YSB intra-europe P
*E : YB
EC : MHQNVWGKOTLUE X
*E : MHQVWNPSEUKLTG X


FM Shanghai Airlines
FC : FA
*F : FA O
BC : CD
*B : CDRJ I
EC : YBEGHKLMQSTVUW
*E : YBMHQNVWLTESGKUPZ X


SQ Singapore
FC : RFAP O
*F : FAPR O
BC : CDJZ I
*B : CDZJ I
EC : SYBMHWUEKGQNVT X
*E : YBMHQNVWSELKTUG X


SA South African
BC : JCZDR I
*B : CDRJZE I E
EC : YBMHKSQTVLXG W X
*E : YBMHQVWNKSTLG X


JK Spanair
FC : <none>
BC : CDRJZ I
*B : CDRJZ I
EC : YBMHQNVWSLTG X
*E : YBMHQVWNULTKESG X


LX Swiss
FC : FA O
*F : FA O
BC : CDZJ I
*B : CDRZJ I
EC : YBMHUGQKVLWPTE X
*E : YBMHQVWNUGKLTES X


TP TAP Portugal
still missing some codes
FC : <none>
BC : CDZ I
*B : CDRZ I
EC : YMHQVWLSKUN X
*E : YBMHQVWNSKGLUETOP X


TG Thai
FC : FAPZ O
*F : FAP O
BC : CDRJL I
*B : CDRJZ I
E+ : U
EC : YBMHQNVWSTGK X
*E : YBMHQVWNTKS X


TK Turkish Airlines
*F : O
*B : CDRJZ I
*E : YBMHQVWNKSETLUGA X


UA United
FC : FAP O (in UA "in house" R, X)
*F : FAP O
BC : CDZ I (in UA "in house" O, I)
*B : CDRZJ I
EC : YBEMUHQVWSTKLG X (in UA "in house" N)
*E : YBMHQVWNEUSTLKG X


US US
FC : FA OP
*F : FAP O
BC : CDZ I J
*B : CDZJ I
EC : YUBMHVLWSTQKNG X
*E : YBMHQNVWLSTGKUER X


Please advise any corrections or updates. Thank you. Updated to post #105.

reserved for future use

LOT "W" class is definately Econ, not Biz~

Best I know S on Air Canada is 'super-comfort' which is domestic J seats on international flights with economy service. Sort of E+/WT+ level.

UA additions & corrections
 

The upgrade booking codes are as follows:

FC: X (NF)
BC: I (NC)

The award booking codes are as follows:

FC: R (XF)
BC: O (XC)
EC: N (XY)

(The two-letter booking class designators are internal to UA and show up on the tickets, boarding passes, etc).

Thank you, KiwiFlyer for this long-overdue D-check on this thread.

Thank you Kiwi Flyer for this usefull information.
I am still new to FT, but I was wondering whether there is any way to do a comparisson chart with equivalencies, e.g. what class LH corresponds to what class at AC

Looks like TAP is Star Standard for reward classes - at least according to Aeroplan anyway.
I for Business Class rewards and X for Economy rewards.

Cheers.

Kiwi Flyer - TAP will be included for the RTW fares as of the next release, due any day. Confirmed they will be Star Standard D (Biz) and M (Economy) on Star 1/2/3 and Star Standard H for Starlite.
Redemptions also confirmed as Star Standard I (Biz) and X (Econ).
Cheers.

Thanks. Updated OP to here.

The UA classes in this thread for upgrades are slightly misleading and need clarification.
The R O and N classes listed are used *only* for M+ members that are logged on and looking for reward space on the UA www site.
They are purely a UA "in-house" www class bucket only, used for UA's saver awards.
If looking on a CRS or via other carriers, you still need to look/book O I and X (Star Standard) classes for UA rewards.

Cheers.

Thank you for making this distinction. I was somewhat confused about the "crossed" booking classes myself.

UA addition:
 

KiwiFlyer,

The UA EC classes should be as follows (in "hierarchical" ranking):

YBMHQVWSTKLG

(G is the travel-industry booking class).

I've updated UA in the OP. Please advise if I've got it wrong.

Changes to AC -
I is now certificate upgrade class
K replaces I in the economy section (should now be RKNGPET).
S is Club Class - a J minus or a Y plus if you will.

SK has introduced a class between Economy and Business. On Intercontinental operations it has wider seats and better pitch than Economy and better service (food), on intra Europe flights the difference from Economy is complimentary meal and bar (in Economy you will have to pay even for water).

Service is currently called Economy Flex but will change to Economy Extra as by next year.

Bookin classes:
Intercontinental: Y and S
Intra Europe: Y, S and B

PS. I really think this info should be added to the first post. The SK Economy Extra is not like UA. On SK it is a completely different service and it costs more too.

PS2. There are no award classes for Economy Extra (strange!)

Sounds like NZ's Premium Economy which is booking codes UEO.

You got it right. Now there's a couple more EC booking classes: E and U (E is considered full fare in some markets with LCC competition, U is notch below that). The hierarchy is as follows:

YBEMUHQVWSTKLG

the paid booking classes at TAP are:

BC: CDZ
EC: YBMHQVWLSKUN

Thanks. OP is updated. Have any of the BMI classes changed following the changes to their business model?

I don't know if it's new, but in long haul, BMI has K and G class, too.

Kiwiflyer,

TG has a U class, which is 110% status and redeemable miles. U is for their E+ product, which is sold as a 4th class on its 345 and 346 jets.

SQ,

As you know, G,V,Q,N,T (think should be ranked in this order) are no miles classes. I believe the ranking for the the Y tickets would be in this order , based on my limited knowledge.
Y,S - full fare economy. think its 1 yr tix
B - 4 mth tix. ?full fare
E - 1 mth tix. discounted, with miles

I have not seen a G ticket in use, but have heard of an M fare originating BKK. But it ranks higher than E.

Not sure about the other classes.

Why not mark booking classes that not accrue miles in bold so we can avoid them (W, K, L, G on SK) ?

Lots of info here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=352627

Unfortunately that could possibly vary by FFP even when the flight is operated by the same airline. However where it is universal that could be a useful enhancement.

I'd probably make them a smaller font size, rather than bolded.

U is for Premium Economy on TG A345. How about Z?

Hm, you got me there CGK. Not too sure? Maybe discounted Biz like UA?

Yes, the 345 has Premium Economy on the ultra long haul routes.
Nearly forgot, one of their AB6 SIN-BKK vv also sells U class. From what I've heard, Y+ on that plane is what they actually sell on the other 3 flights as J! Yes, the old J seats are being sold at Y+ :D I think its TG 414? I could be wrong with the flight number though.

Great resource!
 

Excellent resource! Thanks for all the information. Seems rather hard to find outside FT!

O-Class on SK Domestic in Norway
 

O-class is not an advertised class on SK, but it is apparently still used for Military Fares on Domestic Norwegian routes. I got an E-ticket today for my first trip for the Army since 2002. Fare Class is listed as O First. Of course, First class does not exist on DOM NO. SKBU are running a LCC operation when it comes to inflight service in any case, but in the SK database O apparently loads as First, not Economy.

When earning of miles/points still was possible on DOM NO Military O-class earned as business/full fare: 1200 EB points per segment.

SAS also use -E- for economy within Europe.

LH use also U for economy.


LX booking classes:

FC : FA
BC : CDZJ
EC : YBMHUGQKVLWPTE


SA booking classes:

FC : FA
BC : JCZ
EC : YMBKHSQTVLXG

To add to the last post, both LX and SA are using Star Standard classes for rewards/redemptions. O for First, I for Biz and X for Y cabin.

you're right, X isn't (anymore ?) a revenue class on SA, though it is still shown in the GDS.

according to this thread, class W is for upgrades to business class.

OP updated. Where extra class has been added with unknown relative position I've put it at the low end.

Just got an upgrade to BC on SA.
It is I (used to be W, pre *A)

That thread pre-dates SA in *A. thijsseh is more up to date.

I notice a bunch of strange new codes for SA on KVS:
F P A U
C J Z D R
W is now an economy class with some other new ones.

The ones I've put in bold italic can't be award classes. Wonder what they are?

So it looks like SA is using the same fare buckets for awards and upgrades. Interesting. If that is true, then given that the ANA Mileage Club engine is reliably showing award availability for SA, one can use it to find upgrade availability! :cool: Must try that out.

D is being used for Star RTW bookings. SA is booking into Star Standard classes for the RTW products - A for First, D for Biz and M for Economy. H for Starlite/Star Special.

I must say this worries me a bit. If both an award and an upgrade are I fares, how will 'the system' know that I had an upgrade and debit me the miles I should get for buying an economy (S in my case) ticket :confused: . Especially important as I should get double miles as per the promotion. I guess I will find out soon, my trip is next week.

Lots of airlines use the same booking class for upgrades and awards. As long as they record the fare class separately (which they should do) then it all works out.

But no system is perfect and mistakes do happen - sometimes they are in pax favour and sometimes not requiring chase up.

Kiwi Flier can you mark the airlines that use the same class for Award and Upgrade, or should I assume that any airline without a separate, underlined, class uses a single class for both awards and upgrades?

Yes most use the same booking class for awards and upgrades. Known exceptions are noted.