Date Out-Of-Range
 

I noticed that when using the Awards/JL-OneWorld search for CX on flights +3 days away, the query fails. Tried using the different Return date function (+0...+4) and that doesn't work either. Is this search broken on flights that are a few days away?

The [Awards/JL-OneWorld] Engine range is 4-330 Days:
http://Help.KVSTool.com/#Method_Axess_Awards_JLOneWorld

Please use [Awards/OneWorld], [Awards/BA-OneWorld] or [Awards/CX] for dates outside of that range.

I am trying to book an R/T ZRH - NRT using the JL fare QLCSSW3 with a transfer in CDG. This fare must include travel between Europe and Japan on the JL flights 5053/5054/5055/5056 which are JL codeshare flights CDG-NRT operated by AF. Travel inside Europe (ZRH-CDG) must be on AF or LX according to the fare rules.

Using the Availability/FS method I've found some dates for which the Q booking class is available for the JL codeshare flights CDG-NRT. Because I am *A Gold for the leg ZRH-CDG I would like to book an LX flight and avoid AF flights. This works perfect on the way from ZRH to CDG but for some reason I can't book the LX flight 645 on the way back. I can only select the AF flight 1414 which departures 40 minutes prior to the LX flight I want to book or the LX flights which departure from CDG on the next morning.

I tried different booking sites (ebookers, opodo) and get the same results. They just do not show me the LX flight 645 on that particular day, not even at a higher price. However if I search for the same connection on the next day I can select this flight.

The KVS tool does not show anything special about this flight.

[KVS Availability Tool 7.1.9/Diamond - Sabre: Availability/FS/US]
If I select the LX flight 645 on the next day (17 Sep 2013) I see that the booking class of this flight must be T (at least this is what Opodo shows). This booking class is also available on 16 Sep 2013, there is absolutely nothing special about this flight accoring to the KVS tool.

Any idea why I can't book this flight on that particular date?

Have you tried calling JL to book?

No, haven't tried yet. I am actually more interested in understanding the math behind it (that's why I bought the KVS tool diamond level :) ).

I could understand if the LX 645 flight would not be bookable with this JL tarif on any day because of some fare rules restrictions or minimum connection times. I could also understand if this flight would not be bookable because the booking class is not available on that day for that flight. But I absolutely do not understand why I cannot book that flight on that particular day whereas it works perfect on the next day with exactly the same connections! :confused:

There is no indication that you cannot book those flights, only that you were unable to do so via a few "booking sites" that you have tried.

Using KVS to locate American Airlines "C" fare bucket
 

I recently made the switch from Expertflyer to KVS with BA being the only reason. However, I still fly on AA quite often and I have eVIPs to use.

I poked around the interface, found it generally user friendly, but I can't seem to locate C inventory. I have no problem finding milesAAver seats (U Inventory). Although I found it true 90% of the time that when U exists, C exits, I still would like to know if there's a way I can locate C.

If you go under Awards and Upgrades, you can select C. If you don't see any, perhaps there is no C inventory available at the moment? I believer that if ExpertFlyer searches and doesn't find any for a range, it stops searching.

I don't know that C inventory is showing on KVS...

This is a Travel Tools Forum question and will be moved to the proper forum, and thread eventually.

JDiver
senior moderator

Welcome to the KVS Tool!

For a list of supported AA Booking Classes, please see http://Help.KVSTool.com/#AA

Unfortunately, AA C Class is not currently one of them.

Yes I see that A can be searched, which is the upgrade inventory for 1st. Can I assume C is somewhere in the pipeline?

AA C Upgrade inventory is an exclusive feature of ExpertFlyer as it requires direct GDS access. It cannot be screen scraped from any website as it is only available to authorized partners of AA.

BA/AA Award inventory is publicly available via AA.com and BA.com as well as other services such as AwardNexus.com which offers a free version for FT members.

We would most certainly add this functionality to the KVS Tool, if and when AA makes its C Upgrade Availability accessible.

In the meantime, we hope that you will enjoy the most extensive Award & Upgrade Availability coverage that the KVS Tool provides.

Any way to search Eva Air award space?

We expect that BR Award Availability will be supported by the KVS Tool, once the airline joins Star Alliance on 18 Jun 2013:

http://Help.KVSTool.com/#BR

Hi again,

Having trouble searching Australia-NZ award space on Virgin Australia though the DL-SkyTeam method... any help?

Cheers

The [Awards/DL-SkyTeam] Engine does not currently support searches from/to airports in NZ.

FS: Departures/Arrivals Method
 

Is anyone else having problems with the FS: Departures/Arrivals method?

It used to work fine for me, but today, whatever airport or airline I put in, I get an error message:

This happens even with, say, BA from LHR next week, which simply can't be correct!

MPM Questions
 

I trust this is the right place for a couple of questions related to MPM fares...

1) How are MPM surcharges calculated, when inbound and outbound routings are different, and fall in different surcharge bands?

For example, consider a routing:
Outbound: AAA-XXX-BBB, with TPM at 101% of MPM, so in the 5M surcharge band
Inbound: BBB-YYY-AAA, with TPM at 116% of MPM, so in the 20M surcharge band

How is the total fare calculated? Is it:
- The actual mileage averaged on a half-round trip basis? ie: (101%+116%)/2 = 108.5%, so 10M surcharge band?
- The surcharge bands averaged on a half-round trip basis? ie: (5M+20M)/2 = "12.5M", so 15M surcharge band?
- The highest applicable surcharge band applied to the entire ticket? ie: 20M
- Something different?

2) Are surface sectors counted towards TPM, and hence part of the MPM allowance? (I think that it is included in SkyTeam RTW fares, but I don't know about other 'standard' MPM fares?)

Thanks!

Are you trying to enter a date that is out-of-range?
http://Help.KVSTool.com/#Method_FS_Departures_Arrivals

Fare and surcharges are both calculated on a half-R/T basis.
For example, if the R/T Fare is $1000, it would be ($500+5%) + ($500+20%).

Surface segments do not count toward the TPM.
RTW Fares have special rules.

Thanks! My mistake... When I was using it previously, I hadn't realised it was historical (inc +4 days from current date) rather than forward looking.

Thanks also for the answers to my MPM questions. (With that information I can in fact work out how my latest fare was calculated...)

You're welcome! :)

Hi could someone share the load factor for CY347 tomorrow LHR-LCA

TIA

[KVS Availability Tool 7.1.9/Diamond - Sabre: Availability/FS/US]

I just got KVS and am very confused about how to use it .... I am searching for a paid rate from NYC to MALAGA on July 17 one way i got a rate for 425 using AB now how do i go about booking this fare?
Also i see that there are 3 stars next to AdvanceP which means that I need to read the terms of the flight but I dont get what the restrictions are?
TIA

I just got KVS and am very confused about how to use it .... I am searching for a paid rate from NYC to MALAGA on July 17 one way i got a rate for 425 using AB now how do i go about booking this fare?
Also i see that there are 3 stars next to AdvanceP which means that I need to read the terms of the flight but I dont get what the restrictions are?
TIA

Please see:
http://Help.KVSTool.com/#Q19
http://Help.KVSTool.com/#Q20

The Advance Purchase restrictions, if any, will be noted in the Fare Rules.

Is there any better way to check RTW fares than the workaround (search for a fare, then enter the code of the RTW fare?). It was easier in the past - or are there any planes to have a better search in the future?
Thanks.

Not at moment, but we are continuing to look for a more convenient solution.

Can I confirm that if I want to see BA (award) availability, I need to purchase the Diamond option?

BA Award & Upgrade Availability is accessible via the [Awards/OneWorld] Method at the Platinum level and also via the [Awards/BA-OneWorld] & [Awards/JL-OneWorld] Methods at the Diamond level.

KVS on iMac or MacBook
 

Not sure if this is the right place to post this question. I rushed in and paid the annual licence fee for Diamond then tried to download and install. Only then did I discover that KVS is a Windows-only app - I tried the provided link to install using Crossover - but this link just gives a "web page not found" error. Trying to get to the Codeweaver site proved futile - is this company now defunct? What can I do - I know I can licence Parallels or WMfusion but these are relatively expense solutions for only one app. I guess I feel like a bit of a goose but really shouldn't KVS warn you of this severe limitation before taking your money?

P.S. I know Bootcamp is free but the inconvenience of re-booting every time you want to run KVS is pretty much a showstopper.

Can anyone help / suggest a way forward. I have sent KVS an e-mail with this issue indicating if I cannot find a straightforward solution I would like a refund. But what I really want is KVS - do I need to buy a Window tablet? Good grief.

VirtualBox - works wonders for this Mac user.

thanks for the tip, I got Crossover working today (their web site must have been off the air yesterday) - so far it seems to support KVS just fine. I am on a 14 trial licence but will look into VirtualBox before I spring for the $60 licence fee.

now I just need to figure out how to use all the functionality of KVS.

Welcome to the KVS Tool!

Please keep in mind that that there are some limitations with regard to the CrossOver for Mac product, as noted at http://Help.KVSTool.com/#Mac

Thanks KVS, yes I read those - I will also try other Windows emulation tools (like VirtualBox) but I think for my purposes KVS will work fine with Crossover. I am a "refuge" from the upcoming US / AA mergers and really need a tool which works for OneWorld awards (unfortunately there is no ANA equivalent for OW).

New user (KVS running under Crossover on iMac) questions:-

1. I am getting the following error: Data Source Error [RD-3] "Session/MSIE Cookies Error" when using method "Awards/JL-OneWorld". First time I tried it, I was asked to enter my JAL FF number which I did but since it was an Asia Pacific number it did not work so I re-enrolled using a different name with an Americas number - then updated the number in Settings. Now I get this error message.

2. While I am posting - thought I would ask if it is possible to search a range of dates for award seats instead of stepping forward/backward day by day.

Thanks.

Try to clear MSIE Cookies and restart the KVS Tool.

Also, what route/date are you searching?

At the moment, week-long Award Availability searches are supported for Star Alliance only.