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ExpertFlyer Help Desk, Information and Updates Thread

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Old Feb 14, 2015, 12:53 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: ExpertFlyer Voice
The purpose of this thread is to post questions, feedback, and report issues with ExpertFlyer. The ExpertFlyer team will respond as soon as possible from the ExpertFlyer Voice account (usually within 24 hours except on weekends).

You can also contact ExpertFlyer support at [email protected]
This is a community-maintained thread it is not supported by ExpertFlyer.

--------------------
Seat Maps: we're currently not able to show seat maps for flights departing within the next 24 hours for several airlines: DL, BA, QR , ANA, B6, & JL
Searches currently not working:
  • Upgrades - AY, BA, EK, EY, IB, QR, VS
  • Awards - AY, BA, IB, EY, QR, VS

To search AA upgrades:
  • Use the Award & Upgrade tool
  • Only search for individual segments (set the "Connection Preference" drop-down to "Direct/Non-Stop only"). Flight results that are part of a connection won't show the upgrade version of C or A inventory because AA only files upgrade inventory as individual, not married, segments. (Married segments show revenue inventory instead of upgrade inventory.)
  • To avoid confusion, check the "Exclude Codeshares" box, as AA awards and upgrades are not valid on codeshares.
  • 2 minute video explanation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGRNFYIbHp4











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Old Jan 18, 2020 | 12:18 am
  #2161  
IMH
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Originally Posted by ExpertFlyer Voice
You mean from the Create New Flight Alert page?
I was actually thinking of schedule change alerts, as these have to be entered 'from scratch' each time.

(Links to set aircraft change alerts and seat alerts are offered from the seat map results pages. I can't comment on flight alerts, sorry.)

Please email this [...] so I can share internally
Might it be possible for you to copy my suggestion here into an internal memo, together with any helpful comments that other users may post? Thank you.
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Old Jan 18, 2020 | 12:37 am
  #2162  
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Originally Posted by IMH
I was actually thinking of schedule change alerts, as these have to be entered 'from scratch' each time.
You can create schedule change alerts from the Flight Details and Timetable results pages, nothing needs to be entered from scratch.
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Old Jan 18, 2020 | 12:50 am
  #2163  
IMH
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Originally Posted by ExpertFlyer Voice
You can create schedule change alerts from the Flight Details and Timetable results pages
Thank you. That saves some time. I'd still welcome a link from a (saved) seat map and -- especially -- the ability to pre-populate fields and submit a largely similar alert to one I've just entered.
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Old Jan 23, 2020 | 7:43 am
  #2164  
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I found a fare basis on EF that I wanted to use to book my flights. However, neither my corporate agent, AMEX nor the airline itself could find such a fare in their system(s).
Has anyone encountered this problem before?
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Old Jan 25, 2020 | 10:45 am
  #2165  
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ExpertFlyer 330 day limitation. Why?

Anyone know why a search engine that searches star alliance would not allow searches beyond 330 days in advance when almost half of the alliance releases award seats before that?

​​​​​​Is it using UA to do its searches similar to how kvs uses AE?
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Old Jan 26, 2020 | 1:39 am
  #2166  
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Originally Posted by epigram
I found a fare basis on EF that I wanted to use to book my flights. However, neither my corporate agent, AMEX nor the airline itself could find such a fare in their system(s).
Has anyone encountered this problem before?
what point of sale? If your agent is in different country that may explain it.
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Old Jan 27, 2020 | 8:35 am
  #2167  
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Originally Posted by BobbySteel
what point of sale? If your agent is in different country that may explain it.
same POS as EF. i managed to get them price another constructed fare with a similar routing but not the routing i want (different gateway city to the country)
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Old Jan 27, 2020 | 9:35 am
  #2168  
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Originally Posted by gospelle
Anyone know why a search engine that searches star alliance would not allow searches beyond 330 days in advance when almost half of the alliance releases award seats before that?

​​​​​​Is it using UA to do its searches similar to how kvs uses AE?
That should read "337 days in advance".
Error message reads: Class Code I: The date specified is too far into the future and not supported by the airline. Please specify a date within 337 days of today.
But of course, it says this on airlines that release award seats well beyond that. WHY? Anyone??
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Old Jan 27, 2020 | 10:14 am
  #2169  
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Originally Posted by gospelle
[...] it says this on airlines that release award seats well beyond that. WHY?
You went some way towards answering your question when you first posed it. For some *A airlines (definitely SQ and I believe also NH), if you use EF to look for availability it will give you *A availability, which will often mean fewer options than are available to members of the airlines' own FFPs. In other cases (LX at one point, IIRC) you will see the availability seen by regular members of the airline's FFP.

A search will bring up some threads on this, mainly from 2013-2015.

EF can be helpful when looking for *A availability, but it's not one of its real strengths.
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Old Jan 29, 2020 | 4:09 pm
  #2170  
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A quick question about Aircraft Change Alerts, both to find out what recent experience other EF users have had and to see whether ExpertFlyer Voice might be able to shed some light on this.

On 29 February 2016, an announcement was made in the Master Information Thread:-
Originally Posted by ExpertFlyer Voice
Hi everyone, we have 2 announcements to make:

First, Aircraft Change Alerts have been enhanced to now take into account if the actual seat layout of the cabin has changed. This check is addition to the existing check for a changed equipment code (both based on the seat map response).

...
However, recently I haven't been receiving the alerts I would have expected to get when a configuration has changed.

In particular, I've noticed this on BA shorthaul flights, where there is a moveable divider between business class and economy, so those cabins can grow or shrink if the divider moves. On 3-3 aircraft, business class is 2-2, so this ought to look like a configuration change; although on 2-2 aircraft (Embraers), both business class and economy are 2-2 and it is just the number of rows in each cabin that changes. If the aircraft type doesn't change, then the total number of rows stays the same if all that's happened is that the divider has moved.

Has there been a change in EF behaviour? Is this type of Aircraft Change Alert still supposed to be functioning? What have other EF users seen?
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Old Jan 29, 2020 | 4:28 pm
  #2171  
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Originally Posted by Globaliser
A quick question about Aircraft Change Alerts, both to find out what recent experience other EF users have had and to see whether ExpertFlyer Voice might be able to shed some light on this.

On 29 February 2016, an announcement was made in the Master Information Thread:-However, recently I haven't been receiving the alerts I would have expected to get when a configuration has changed.

In particular, I've noticed this on BA shorthaul flights, where there is a moveable divider between business class and economy, so those cabins can grow or shrink if the divider moves. On 3-3 aircraft, business class is 2-2, so this ought to look like a configuration change; although on 2-2 aircraft (Embraers), both business class and economy are 2-2 and it is just the number of rows in each cabin that changes. If the aircraft type doesn't change, then the total number of rows stays the same if all that's happened is that the divider has moved.

Has there been a change in EF behaviour? Is this type of Aircraft Change Alert still supposed to be functioning? What have other EF users seen?
There has been no change and it would be helpful if you emailed us directly so we could look up your account and alert to see a specific example.
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Old Jan 29, 2020 | 5:24 pm
  #2172  
 
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Is there any service that competes with ExpertFlyer that also offers seat maps, similar to what ExpertFlyer offers under "Seat Alerts"?

I fly maybe five times a year, so paying them $60 for seat maps is unattractive to me. I would be willing to part with about $10 for a limited number of seat searches per day.

The other thing is I hate the way ExpertFlyer implemented their feature. I do not want a seat alert. I want a way to investigating seat availability whenever I feel like it. You cannot create a SeatAlert without creating an email notification when specific criteria (e.g., a window seat in business class) are met.

Last edited by pone66; Jan 29, 2020 at 5:30 pm
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Old Jan 29, 2020 | 8:04 pm
  #2173  
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Originally Posted by pone66
Is there any service that competes with ExpertFlyer that also offers seat maps, similar to what ExpertFlyer offers under "Seat Alerts"?

I fly maybe five times a year, so paying them $60 for seat maps is unattractive to me. I would be willing to part with about $10 for a limited number of seat searches per day.

The other thing is I hate the way ExpertFlyer implemented their feature. I do not want a seat alert. I want a way to investigating seat availability whenever I feel like it. You cannot create a SeatAlert without creating an email notification when specific criteria (e.g., a window seat in business class) are met.
If you only need the service 5 months out of the year you can only subscribe for those 5 months. Just set your account not to renew immediately after you reactivate your subscription.

Retrieving the seat maps has a cost for us to provide. So if you feel that looking at a Seat Map on ExpertFlyer, which you can do separately from Seat Alerts, holds value to you over the free alternative of an airline website, then maybe it's worth paying for.
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Old Jan 29, 2020 | 11:28 pm
  #2174  
IMH
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Originally Posted by pone66
I hate the way ExpertFlyer implemented their feature. I do not want a seat alert. I want a way to investigating seat availability whenever I feel like it.
That sounds like a standard EF seat map query for a particular flight and date, which you can save and then repeat at any time by selecting it from a drop-down list. Saving queries doesn't generate any emails.
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Old Jan 30, 2020 | 12:36 am
  #2175  
 
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Originally Posted by IMH
That sounds like a standard EF seat map query for a particular flight and date, which you can save and then repeat at any time by selecting it from a drop-down list. Saving queries doesn't generate any emails.
Is that query feature you reference something that is only exposed to a paying account? On my "free" menu I only see alerts.
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