"Application Expired - Download Updated Version" Message
 

Just a reminder for those users who are receiving an "Application Expired - Download Updated Version" error message to actually do so. Your Registration Code remains fully valid until the expiration date specified, and there is no need to request a new Registration Code.

JAL Availability on KVS
 

I want to book 2 x business class from BNE-NRT with an AAdvantage all-partner award.

My travel date of Jan 16, 2009 is not available to AA for another week, but QF does show that far ahead. When I look on QF website it only shows availability on flights with a stop in CNS, but on KVS the direct [JAL] fliights do show with QF flight numbers but with availablity as CS/ YS+

The flight does have a business cabin, so is it just not available to QF to book an award in? (Otherwise, I would expect to see CS-)

I had a look on JAL's website for the week before (as it, too, has the 330 day limitation) and it shows 2 business class on Jan 8 on the direct JL762, but nothing shows up on KVS or QF site - both of which reinforce my suspicion about access to JAL awards.

I'm checking FRA-LHR on a random date using Apollo ITN with time set as "any" or 00:00. If I don't specify a carrier then the only result I get is an AeroMexico codeshare flight on Air France via Paris. Slightly bizarre, isn't it?

If I specify BA as the carrier then I get those carrier's flights listed but they are listed after the same AM/AF flights through CDG.

If I specify LH as the carrier it seems to work as designed.

Any idea what's happening?

JL award availability is not supported by that Method. The supported carriers are QF/BA/AA/AY/IB/MA/LA + EI. Furthermore, award reservations have to be made using the 'real' (and not codeshare) flight numbers. I am guessing that that JL-op'd flight did not get filtered-out in error as it has a low flight number.

Thanks for the clarification.

It's a known quirk in the [Apollo: ITN] engine, so the KVS Tool FAQ recommends always specifying a carrier when using that Method.

Alternatively, you can use [WSpan: ITN] or [Sabre: ITN].

I was looking (through my wife's nonSE Aeroplan account) at award availability for YOW-YYZ on May 16, and return on May 19 - in both economy and business class. The KVS tool suggests that there are several flights with award availability in one or both classes of seats on those 2 days; the Aeroplan search engine shows that there is literally zero availability (taking account both classic and classic plus availability!) on both days! Should I presume (as indicated in the other thread: link:http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=790903), that the KVS tool is right, and that the Aeropplan web site currently has a glitch?

To put it another way, if there is a discrepancy in award availability between the KVS took (ANA search engine) and the Aeroplan search engine, which method is more accurate (the true award availability could be confirmed by speaking to the Aeroplan customer services representative?).

In most cases, yes.

back to the future
 

I'm getting a message on the KVS tool telling me that my version 3.04 is out of date and needs to be updated to 3.03

There currently ongoing issues with the [Sabre: Fares/DotRes] engine and, for now, V3.0.4 has been withdrawn.

My sister-in-law is looking for an Aeroplan award to Hawaii in economy class this summer. She has close to 50K points - the Aeroplan web site does display some combined business class/economy class availability for 60K.

I used your tool, and could not find any economy class award (for 40K Aeroplan miles) on the dates she is interested. I wonder if you can confirm that there are no such available awards.

She is interested in departing YOW and arriving in either Honolulu or Kauai on either Sat Aug 2 or Sunday Aug 3. She is interested in departing either Honolulu or Kauai on either Friday Aug 8 or Saturday Aug 9 or Sunday August 10 (we have booked a timeshare in Kauai from Aug 3-10, and she wants to join us there; we will be staying at a hotel in Honolulu on Aug 2).

KVS doesn't display every possible cnx. You have to do some work.

1) Download the Star Alliance timetable - then search for every city that has n/s flights to where you are going. (ORD, DEN, SAN, SFO, LAX, PHX, YVR all have n/s flights to HNL)

2) Work backwards: once you find availability to where you are going, then find availability to that city.

For example:

[KVS Availability Tool 3.0.3/Platinum - SNT: Awards/StarAlliance/JP-ANA]

HNL Honolulu Int'l HI US [PHNL]
SAT 02 Aug 2008 / 1 Seat

Carrier Flight From Depart To Arrive A/C Availability
--------- ------ ---- --------- ---- --------- ---- ---- -------------
UA 83 LAX 13:00 HNL 15:50 763 FS- CS- YS+
UA 43 DEN 11:45 HNL 15:12 777 FS- CS- YS+

Now, you just have to get to LAX or DEN... I'll leave that with you.

d

Thank you, for your advice - that helped. I booked UA 83 (on Aug 2) for her. I booked a Lihei, Kauai to Denver flight (UA 1040) on Aug 9. To LAX, she flew via Vancouver (and stopped there for 1 night). From Denver, she flew to YYZ and then to YOW.

Fare look up problems---
 

Even after going back to 3.0.3 both Sabre fare methods come back with errors - any tips? I'm plat so that's not it.

Both Fares Methods are fully operational at the moment -- pls see http://kvs.unrealnetwork.com/Tool/FAQ.php#Errors

Problem using Galileo mode to access I inventory on AC?
 

Is anyone having a problem using the Galileo method for accessing I inventory on AC?

Yes -- pls see http://kvs.unrealnetwork.com/Tool/.

An updated version, restoring access, should be available within 24 hours ...

Thanks

Works fine for me ... ;)

Version 3.0.x: What's New
 

See http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...15#post9498115

Stupid question from a newbie
 

OK, so I have Platinum status, and did a search on fares use Sabre: Fares/ZUJ. Here is the search result:

[KVS Availability Tool 3.0.5/Platinum - Sabre: Fares/ZUJ/SG/USD]
Now, I know (and probably) understand the fare basis b/c it is pretty much self-explanatory. Assuming seats are available, what do I do next? Do I call up NW or AA or my travel agent, give them the fare basis and they will purchase the ticket for me?

Sorry for this stupid question, I am just new to this tool and found it very helpful so far. Thank you for all of your help!

Pls see KVS Tool FAQ under "Q: I'm seeing some great fares using one of the [Fares:] Methods, but how do I actually book them?":

http://kvs.unrealnetwork.com/Tool/FAQ.php#FAQ

Version 3.0.5 no longer working for me
 

After updating to version 3.0.5, the tool is no longer working for me. After starting a request, I continuously receive the following error message:

QUOTE:
Datasource Error:
"Proxy System (it's name): Download in progress ULR:
http://www.itn.net/ ......(long ULR)......."
If reason(s) for the above message are unclear, please click the [?] button to review the latest system status anouncements.
UNQUOTE

The internet access in my compnay is via proxy server, but the settings in Internet Explorer are working fine and in the past the KVS tool was working perfectly with these settings.

That message is coming from your proxy server. If it requires a username/password, pls see KVS Tool FAQ. Otherwise, pls contact your network administrator.

It always worked well before I updated to version 3.0.5. I also do not require a username / password for my company's proxy server. Did you change somethin in the way the data inquiry is processed?

There were no changes of that nature in V3.0.5.

What does it mean when I try to see the routing rules for a fare and it says "NO FARE AVAILABLE IN SYSTEM"?

I'm trying to check for I availability on May 10 between YYC and YYZ and when I press go it returns no results at all. I'm using Galileo and no matter what fare class I enter nothing comes up. Is the Galileo server down?

Pls see [What's New in Version 3.0.5] above.

Well, it means pretty much exactly what it says ...

What's the city pair/carrier/fare basis you're trying to retrieve?

It's funny though that I was able to get the fare rules but not the routing rules. Anyway, it worked this morning so no harm no foul. :)

Is there any way for KVS to access Z (international Y to J upgrade) and G (domestic Y to F upgrade) fare buckets on Delta?

Not at this time -- pls see KVS Tool User Guide for a list of currently-supported DL booking classes ...

Searching of OneWorld Awards now shows an error:

Error requesting data:
Response completed
Response completed

The QF OW Awards engine is not fully functional at the moment. It currently continues to work for most, but not all origins and destinations...

OK, thanks.

Does anyone know what fare booking class is used to travel on an award in First Class or Business Class on Singapore, Thai, United and Air Canada?

Thanks in advance!

Cheers.

If your question is restricted to United, then the answer is as follows:

First (Free) = XF/"R"
First (UG) = NF/"X"
Business (Free) = XC/"O"
Business (UG) = NC/"I"

Note that there are actually two booking classes for each award category.

That's because United's internal systems allow some special two character booking classes (XF/NF/XC/NC) which don't work in most other booking engines including large GDSs, e.g. Abacus, Amadeus, Apollo, Sabre and Worldspan and/or major web sites, e.g. Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity.

In either case, it's almost impossible to look at inventory levels for these booking classes.

In the KVS Tool, award availability for all supported *A carriers is uniformly shown as FS (First Award), CS (Business Award), and YS (Economy Award).

If you want to know to which carrier-specific booking classes those map to, pls see KVS Tool User Guide.

[QUOTE=KVS;9433629]In the KVS Tool, award availability for all supported *A carriers is uniformly shown as FS (First Award), CS (Business Award), and YS (Economy Award).[QUOTE]

Believe the KVS Tool pulls *A award data from the NH website but does not translate that data to actual booking codes or quantify the actual number of seats available.

Any reason why the KVS Tool couldn't entertain a custom query which would return an enhanced display containing both revenue and award booking class availability? That seems to be what many of us really want!