Ahh OK. Thanks KVS!

FYI
The Alaska award tool sometimes seems to do a superior job finding Skyteam bookings in the domestic US, in particular where AS/Horizon or DL/Skywest flights are required (in other words a big swath of the west coast). The AS tool also shows AA awards, and so it's really a nice supplement to both the ST and OW functions you have built into KVS. I know most people dont have AS accounts, but given how well it does building unconventional routes in the domestic US when the NW itool shows the same old 12:55am redeye, it is worth checking out.

Thanks for the info -- I will look into this...

Absence Alert
 

Just a reminder that an absence alert, which has been posted on the KVS Tool's homepage for the last two weeks, will come into effect shortly.

However, please feel free to submit registration/upgrade requests at any time, as I will be responding to all accumulated requests/e-mails upon my return.

For Platinum-tier members, holding a valid registration as of 01 December 2007, access to the KVS Tool Online Companion will continue to be available throughout this entire period (regardless of the actual expiration date).

Thanks for understanding and happy holidays!

Have a good trip! You may find my registration renewal when you return! ;)

I noticed that LAN is not on your list. Since the QF website allows me to search for LAN awards, is this a typo or intentional? Thanks.

Problems with Skyteam Awards availability.
 

Hi KVS,

I am looking for award availability from SFO to EZE, using ORT: Skyteam Awards, yet all that shows me is availability on CO. I know there are flights to EZE on DL and AM too, but they are not coming up! Even when I use ATL-EZE as city pairs, only CO flights are showing up...

Anybody else seen this?

Hello. Is there someone that can help me with a technical issue in KVS' absence? I am getting the 12029 connection error. I reviewed the FAQs, and I deleted the program from my firewall programs, and when that didn't work, I disabled both the firewall and all of Norton 360--still getting the error message.

I did a search of this thread, and I wasn't able to find anything other than someone who got a new firewall! I prefer not to do that.

If more appropriate to PM then here that's fine. I appreciate anyone who is able to help. Thank you.

I was actually going to ask a similar question when I saw this.

From a developer standpoint, the answer is simple, branch the product while developing a core library/framework from which to work. C/C++/C# aren't that much different than ObjectiveC.

Though from the looks of it, you may have written KVS in Delphi.

Ever thought about using something that is truly cross-platform that doesn't suffer a performance hit (such as Python)?

How do I find out what the class codes are for QR? I thought the highest classes were always first, but the following doesnt seem to follow that principle:

QR 11 DOH 07:40 LHR 13:25 332 0 F2 P4 A0 O0 C4 J2 D4 I0 Y4 B4 L4 M4 Q4 K4 H4 V4 T4 G4 W4 N0

This might suggest that F/P are first class, and C/J are business. But why more P than F spaces and more J than C spaces. Also what is the A and O? Too many First class codes?

This has now been updated -- thanks.

That is, indeed, what the SkyTeam search engine currently returns -- unfortunately, there is no way to override this behaviour...

The above availability could be erroneous:

[KVS Availability Tool 3.0.2/Platinum - Sabre: ITN/UK-ASB]
[KVS Availability Tool 3.0.2/Platinum - Apollo: ITN/US-ARL]

Ok, so it looks like Sabre is best for QR, as your Apollo insert above gives the same erronous numbers.

P.S how do I insert the neat KVS extracts like that?

By reviewing the [Additional Features FAQ] section at the top of this thread :).

Not to derail the thread too much, but the performance argument always elicits a response. :) Writing it in Java would solve the platform independence, and Java these days is very nearly as high performing as a natively linked & compiled app.

Of course, I may be biased as a Java engineer, but I can say with complete certainty that there is at least one example of an application written entirely in Java that is responsible for handling hundreds of flight availability queries per second, and it doesn't bat an eyelash. Now granted, this is across all instances of the application, but I guarantee there aren't hundreds of instances deployed in parallel. :) I'll give you a hint. Its mother-ship is also a type of sword. ;)

When you're screen-scraping from the web, I don't think the latency from the JVM overhead is going to be your bottleneck.

Though I completely agree with you that porting what you've developed to date is not a trivial effort!

The performance issue concerns mostly the GUI, and in that area, Java's performance, at least under Win32, is quite dreadful....

1. I was looking at the cheapest return latitude fare (U class) for YOW-HNL on the aircanada.com web site for this coming Aug - it was (incl. taxes) about $1600+. Using the KVS tool (sabre dot.res) - it came up at $2400. Why the discrepancy?

The U-class fare(s) that AC.com is using to price this itinerary are not [yet?] loaded into [all] GDS systems...

Thanks, for the information. The implication (of your statement) is that one should always double-check KVS tool system fare quotes, through other means, whether it is through the airline (web site, reservations agent), travel booking web site, travel agent etc. The KVS tool fare quote may not be the cheapest (published) fare that can be quoted.

The sabre dot.res fare quotes the U fare as $2400. Are you saying that this sabre system has not yet updated the U fare to reflect the current cost of $1600.

The corollary questions are how long does it take for the GDS systems to reflect the current fares of AC (or other airlines); would any KVS tool fare system currently reflect the up-to-date fare?

What date are you looking for specifically?

Because AC.com doesn't show the necessary pricing details, it wouldn't be possible to accurately answer such questions at this time...

Saturday August 9 departure; Saturday Aug 16 return.

PS-The restricted "first" class UA fare is about $2200, and the restricted business class AC fare is $3400. These seem to match on the sabre and airlines' web sites.

Just wanted to share my appreciation for this great tool.
Just discovered it days ago and will definitely "contribute" aka buy it soon.

Why is it called "contribute" though? Tax reasons?

Awesome tool!
 

I contributed for the platinum subscription recently and have already used it frequently. Found this tool to be very useful. Nice work, KVS!

A few comments for you KVS -
1. OneWorld Award search generally shows flight availability for AA, BA and QF. Is there anyway we can see availability on other OW carriers?
2. While searching for OW award flights out of DEL airport, it returns an error. Can you look into it?

Thanks once again for the great utility you are offering. Worth it IMHO.

Sabre Fare/DotRes Routing Rules AC YOW-DEL ZOMSIND fare
 

I am trying to book a Z class fare AC ticket from YOW to DEL in March. The base fare, per the ac.com web site and also the Sabre site, is CAN $4580. Here are the fare routing rules (see below):

I have a few questions:

I tried to book a route through the AC reservations agent, confirming the rules with her. I booked YOW-YYZ-LHR (stopover), LHR-ZUR-DEL, DEL-ZUR (stopover), ZUR-LHR-YOW, using the allowable airlines (ie LX on LHR - ZUR, both directions).

Her computer generated a fare of $11,000+. Neither of us knew why it was not quoting a rate of $4580. She went to the rates department, who indicated that the fare rules state that one must go from the stopover to DEL (presuming there is not a second stopover between the first stopover and DEL) using the most direct routing and airline (in this case LHR-DEL using BA or VS). One can not, as I was trying do with the $4580 rate, go between DEL and LHR in both directions, via ZUR (using LX) as a transit point. Where in the routing rules displayed below, does it say that an indirect route between LHR and DEL, via an otherwise allowable city (eg ZUR) used for transit, can not be used? I presume if I stopped in both LHR and ZUR in both directions (>24 hr stopover), I could have gone between LHR and ZUR in both directions using LX?


I then asked her to change the itinerary: YOW to DEL via ZUR without stopping over, and DEL back to YOW with a stopover in ZUR. This time her computer quoted a rate of about $6500+. Z fare seats were available in all segments, according to her computer, and according to the KVS tool. She sent it back to the rates department again for review - we are awaiting their response. We could not figure out why the AC computer would not automatically price this itinerary at (a base rate of) $4580. Can you figure that one out?









[KVS Availability Tool 3.0.2/Platinum - WSpan: YOW-DEL/AC/Z0MSIND/4580 CAD]

1. OneWorld award search currently supports QF/BA/AA/AY/IB/MA/LA.
2. This is a limitation of that award availability engine (you can check awards to DEL, but not from DEL). I will be looking into possible ways of solving this issue ...

Routing rules specify that you must fly via one of the following ("/" = "or"): ZRH/FRA/MUC/PAR/LON.

So what's their response?

I just got the answer.

The SE reservations agent had booked Z class fare, both on AC and on LX. She had forgotten the a given booking code on one airline may not be the same booking code on the second airline. A "Z" booking code on AC is equal to a "J" booking code on LX. With this change (from "Z" on LX to "J" on LX), the fare did come out to $4580.

Does the KVS tool have a mechanism of converting a booking code on one airline (eg AC) to a second booking code on the second airline (with this fare basis, 5 other airlines, besides AC, can be used)?

No, this information is not a part of the fare or routing rules, and cannot be obtained using the KVS Tool.

OneWorld Award Search is not displaying any BA flights since this morning. Is anyone else having a similar problem? KVS, can you look into it? Thanks!

I was able to confirm that the QF OW Award search engine is currently not returning any BA flights. This may possibly be caused by a [temporary] data link loss issue between BA and QF ...

I am trying to use the 4 access methods (Apollo, Galileo, Sabre, WSpan) to get booking code availability on LX between BOS and DEL.

No problems (from beginning of March through to end of April) getting such information from BOS to DEL (via ZUR). However, trying the reverse direction, I either get a message that no flights available (esp with Galileo) or there is a error message stating something like this is not a valid itinerary. Why the problems with obtaining the information from DEL to BOS via ZUR; while full information seems to be forthcoming from BOS to DEL via ZUR? I also seem to have the same problems with access of such information for the individual flights: DEL-ZUR or ZUR-BOS (again on LX only)?

Everything appears to work as it should in both directions. I am guessing that the error messages are caused by your use of a non-existent airport code ("ZUR").

[KVS Availability Tool 3.0.2/Platinum - Sabre: ITN/UK-ASB]

You are right in terms of my error when trying the individual segments - DEL-ZRH or ZRH-BOS.

However, I did not make the error, when typing in DEL-BOS.

I am looking for the cheapest fare basis/booking code availability - namely, E class (as per Sabre fares access methods) - it is about $650 return (base fare only)! Problems are finding "E" booking code availability for DEL-BOS; such available easily displayed for BOS-DEL (interested in LX only). I can now get E availability to display when looking at DEL-ZRH or ZRH-BOS separately.

When looking at booking code availability for DEL-BOS:

1. However, in terms of Sabre or WSpan, no E class (cheapest fare basis, as per sabre fare access methods) - see your example for sabre.

2. In terms of Galileo, no E class.

2. However. in terms of Apollo, no LX (but all other airlines displayed) - even when LX specified:

[KVS Availability Tool 3.0.2/Platinum - Apollo: ITN/US-ARL]

LX E class is shown using the Galileo and Apollo Methods. However, neither of them pick-up the LX connection on the return, most likely because of the very long layover time in ZRH (11+ hours).

Part 1:

You are therefore saying that a connection (involving international travel) which is less than 23h59min (which is legal) will not necessarily show up in your access methods? What is the cut-off time for the access methods to show a connection?

Why did Apollo (as well as WSpan) show routings using all other airlines, when LX was specified (see my example with apollo). This did not happen with sabre (see your example)?

Sabre does not show E class fares? Is it true that sabre may not show certain fares for given routes (any airlines), but which may be seen using the galileo and apollo methods? To ask the question in a another way, for any given airline, which access method can display the widest range of booking code availability?

Part 2:

Can sabre dot/res be wrong?

Let me give the following example:

The KVS tool gives the following fares - we are interested in the $650ESLLICUS fares. But the Swiss International Airlines web site, does indicate that E class fares are available on those 2 days (going and coming back), but it quotes a fare of just under $1050 (includes all fees and taxes). Why the discrepancy between the quoted fares, between the 2 sites? Obviously, with such a discrepancy, the LX web site would have to be the one relied upon, for booking purposes.

[KVS Availability Tool 3.0.2/Platinum - Sabre: Fares/DotRes/US/CAD]

AFAIK that is the E class fare. From ITA:

Cheers,