KVS has been a very useful tool to me. While I could get everything that KVS can provide via other free websites, I still prefer KVS because of the convenience, and the standalone small application. This is much better than ExpertFlyer which one has to enter all the fields every time the website is pulled up.

However, now that KVS cannot scrape info from FlightStats, maybe KVS should consider scraping info from Expert-Flyer. I don't mind paying a subscription for both Expert-Flyer and KVS but enjoy a much better interface.

Thanks KVS. I got it to work and have it up and running with the GTC credentials. I appreciate your help but still contend that the instructions are most bizarre. The oddest part was the decoder for the 'site code' part that precedes the username in the KVS settings.

It seems to take a lot longer to return flight availability than the old methods but at least it's now working again.

If anyone needs any help from an independent source who has gone through the process feel free to send me a PM.

This whole GTC situation has been bizarre.

I have been a subscriber for 6.5 years and customer service was always great. Now the search tool is "decommissioned" without notice and we are sent these cryptic instructions on how to get GTC access.

That is all clear as mud. I had no luck following the Google search instructions.

Does anyone who had success (golfmad?) care to share an easier-to-follow step-by-step instruction list for this? [aka do KVS customer service job for them]

I'm pretty confused/surprised by this whole turn of events.

KVS, if you are now sending better instructions than what you sent me ten hours ago, please put me on the distribution list.

An updated e-mail was sent to you a few hours ago -- please check your Junk/Bulk folders.

The new email was indeed in my Spam.

I have now registered and I am back in business.

But my first search took a REALLY long time.

I wonder what is the future of this tool?

[And I wonder if FAU is gonna notice how many new users they have!]

This tripped me up for a few minutes as well but I finally figured it on the 3rd attempt.

Something's wrong with KVS 7.4.6. For instance it (Availability/GTC) shows CX161 1Nov as zeroed out in S fare

http://www.hongkongcard.com/webedito...0531_81877.jpg

But cathaypacific.com is still selling S fare - 7 seats to be precise.

http://www.hongkongcard.com/webedito...0435_67101.jpg

Same with Mobile Companion.

http://www.hongkongcard.com/webedito...0605_94567.jpg

KVS, I'm also disappointed and confused over this new procedure.

I played the game and submitted the requested form but got an email back saying my email address wasn't useable or some such thing.

Please forward me these new instructions on how to gain access again to availability.

Thanks,
Airbumps

Hmm, is this all legal? I mean using someone else's GTC account? Does KVS have authority to do this? Sounds suspicious to me, with the reports of a cryptic email sent out to find someone else's account/password. I'd be worried that if they don't have proper authority to be doing this that in short order that account will be revoked and back to no availability.

I suspect you've got to the root of the problem... KVS knows that it is possible to find on the web some credentials that will get you access to the GTC information. He has written a method which uses that information. But he cannot outright tell you to go use somebody else's credentials... all he can say is "if you search on the internet you'll find credentials that will give you access, so go search, find some credentials and put them in KVS and KVS will use them."

On one hand it is really not legitimate.

On the other hand, FTers are cheap, and we hate to pay for anything. How many of you would be happy if KVS said "ok, to use GTC you will need to buy an account for $X." Or if there is even no way to do that, and we could not get this functionality at all.

I think he's walking a very fine line, and before we criticize him too much we should think about our own interests.

Ron

Now the penny has dropped as to what on earth I was supposed to do with that seemingly useless Google link, and I'm not really sure I want to... I've asked either for a pro rata refund or some honest and simple instructions for the uninitiated.

But many of us are already paying a not insignificant amount for KVS - and I think we should be offered a legitimate method - even if it costs a few bucks more.

I'm absolutely confused about what happened and what I need to do. Disappointed!

I am also disappointed...

BTW, no Email arrived, even not in the Spam folder...

It started a few months, years ago... First there were 3 engines for looking up fares... Then they disappeared step by step withouth any information about... Same now with the availability tool... The price for the tool did not change and the support is in the same quality as ever...

So, the Availabilty/FS and Availability/ETR have been de-commissioned... Why? What will KVS do to get access to flight availability agian (besides the GTC method)? Why can the mobile access not be integrated into the KVS software?

I would love to read a statement, how KVS does care about it's paying members and what soultion they see for the future. Also a clear description who to get the GTC credentials!

GTC Spoofing
 

I agree 100% with A Lee's observations. I am not comfortable with spoofing another website into giving us password credentials. Given the way we were provided oblique instructions I suspect many others share the view. This is not right.

I must add my name to the angry customer list. While I received the mail from KVS on how to create an account, the mail was so confusing that I was unable to understand it.
Contacting the KVS help did not help at all, nobody was able to tell me what GTC was, and how to create an account easily.

Thanks to Golfmad who sent me clear instructions (still I had some problems as it is really not an easy task for non english native speakers or non IT professionals) I was eventually able to register. It works, but queries are a bit slow to get answers. But, as said, it works. For how long until KVS will again change their avails. queries ?

Fare engine down?
 

Is anyone else seeing issues with [Fares/PSH]?

Losing the ability to look up the fare and routing rules for a different fare (via the [Other Fare] options) is my main concern. Perhaps I have overlooked a different way to access this capability without running a fare search first?

Exactly !
I searched for some 30 minutes on the search results and re-read his email, was finally able to get an account.
Please note you are NOT using someone elses credentials. You will have to register for free on that specific site, they dont even confirm if your email is correct. I did use my real email, as there is no restriction who can Register and who can´t.

I hope this is a temporary thing

We have now forwarded you another copy -- please check your E-Mail Inbox and Spam/Junk folders.

We are unable to locate a Membership account under this username -- please contact us via http://Contact.KVSTool.com/

You're welcome!

The initial searches using the [Availability/GTC] Method do require a bit of extra time, but all subsequent ones should be faster.

Welcome to FT and many thanks to golfmad for helping a fellow Member! ^

My pleasure

This is a normal POS Availability variation (which was intended by CX itself) -- please see http://Help.KVSTool.com/#Factors

The [Fares/PSH] Engine continues to function normally.

If the issue persists, please provide a Screenshot via http://Contact.KVSTool.com/

[KVS Availability Tool 7.4.6/Diamond - Fares/PSH/RU]

I sent the request for acquiring the GTC credentials yesterday, but still have not received any email (Spam or otherwise).

Please send the information!

i sent an email to kvs what i got is a google search results link


not very helpful :-/

Yes, it's like trying to understand all the Fuel-Dump riddles! :confused::td:

i was asked by kvs to remove the link they send by email ... very fishy

Your request has been actioned over an hour ago -- please re-check your E-Mail Spam/Junk folders or re-submit using an alternative e-mail address.

KVS, I think at this point I'd really like to see an Availability/EF method -- allow me to sign up for (a legitimate account with) ExpertFlyer but continue using KVS. For those of use that are not so happy with the GTC scenario, this would give us another option, and one that we would be allowed to legitimately use.

Could you make this happen?

Well, regardless of whether KVS is willing to do it or not, looks like EF wouldn't allow me to do it anyway. They are clearly watching this thread, and promptly sent me a PM:
Doesn't look like they want me as a paying ExpertFlyer customer, either.

If it's legitimate, why all the secrecy? Even KVS hasn't made one peep about the legality of this or such after it was brought up in this thread, and they've responded after that to other points. Makes me think KVS suspects this method is not at all on the up-and-up.

I'm now wondering if flightstats.com took down their availability service simply because KVS was using it for free to gather their information, and in turn charge customers for the KVS interface. Nothing wrong in my mind if they did that, unless flightstats.com asked them to stop and they refused. Anyways, I have no idea if there was any sort of an arrangement or not between KVS and flightstats.com so don't want to make any assumptions here, but with the current secrecy, it does make one wonder.


Yes indeed. Just one more bit that adds to making KVS's action look very suspicious. I'm not a KVS customer, nor plan to be, nor have anything against them making money off of designing software to gather free information. But it looks to me like their credibility is taking a huge hit here by their actions and secrecy.

Based on ExpertFlyer's response you posted, there's nothing there that would stop me from being a customer of theirs, if that's the only way for me to get the availability information. And I don't know if KVS's policy was any different. If a KVS subscriber wrote some software and allowed a lot of people to use it for free which just ferried requests to KVS and returned the results, I imagine KVS would likely revoke their account, even though it seems that's really all KVS does to begin with, gathering information for free from other sources. Guess I'll need to ask ExpertFlyer how they gather their information, if they're willing to share. Though ultimately how they come about their information, provided it's done legally, doesn't bother me. Nor does it bother me if I sign up for a service with the agreement that it's for a sole individual's use, as long as it's spelled out ahead of time.

Edit: I just went and had a look at the flightstats.com thread and found EF's response there:
So if I'm not mistaken, EF paid to get the information directly and legally, whereas KVS looks to have been getting their information i an indirect manner, and possibly for free. Well, for me my choice will be perfectly clear if I need to decide between which service to use.

Our immediate priority lies with providing assistance to our Members during this Engine transition period, not engaging in speculative discussions.

As always, we remain open to answering specific questions regarding the KVS Tool itself and its functions.

KVS,
After much screwing around I managed to sign up for an account on the Florida Atlantic website. Surely this isn't right - you're asking people to pay you a substantial amount of money for a subscription to your product and then directing them to sign up to a 3rd party with little to no direct information on how to - just a bunch of cryptic instructions.

As I say, I've managed to sign up to this Florida Atlantic website version of getthere. But there is no further instructions on how this interacts with the KVS tool itself? KVS Asks for a sitecode. What the hell is the sitecode??

This system really does smell bad. If your product can no longer do what it advertises then you need to be upfront about it and tell people whats going on so they can make educated decisions.

I think you owe us long term subscribers a real explanation.

Airbumps

Really? Then why not just post the information here in public? Numerous people have mentioned not getting the email. And why spending time from your busy transition period to email a customer and ask them to remove a link? Absolutely makes no sense. Sounds to me like just an excuse for trying to cover up some less than legitimate activity.

I didn't suggest a lot of people using EF for free. I suggested that I would like to pay for an EF subscription, and use KVS as my user interface. Just like email services allow me to choose my mail client. But EF clearly won't allow anyone to choose their own UI. If they did, I expect they would pick up a lot of existing KVS subscribers.

Not thrilled by either of the available options at the moment.

In case any non-KVS customers are wondering, just by piecing together what's been posted here, if one does a google search for:

fau "getthere"
The first link returned is as follows:

http://www.fau.edu/controller/travel...ence_Guide.pdf

In there you will see the university's instructions for how to sign up. Does not at all look like something designed for general use. KVS, unless you were given specific permission from FAU to use this, and give it out to your customers, this is not at all cool.

Perhaps it's time someone sends some emails to FAU, marathon travel, and Sabre, to see what the real deal is, because obviously KVS wants to keep it all a big secret.

Ok, sorry, I misunderstood what you wanted to do. I'd agree that if they allowed just a KVS or other third-party interface to their information, for a single user, it would be useful to some people.