Jul 17, 2014, 1:23 pm
Last edit by: hillrider
This thread is for ExpertFlyer Information and Updates only (as per its title) and many subscribe to it for this purpose. For other issues, please see the ExpertFlyer.com Help Desk thread.
If you have any questions about using ExpertFlyer or wish to report any issues, please email them at [email protected].
If you have any questions about using ExpertFlyer or wish to report any issues, please email them at [email protected].
ExpertFlyer.com - Master Information and Updates Thread
Sep 7, 2012 | 6:35 pm
#751
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Northeast Kansas | Colorado Native
Programs: Amex Gold/Plat, UA *G, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Plat Marriott LT Gold, NEXUS, TSA Disparager Unobtanium
Posts: 22,650
I'm going to guess that it will disappear from EF, but I would be extremely happy to be corrected... 
another terrible move by CO management
another terrible move by CO management
Sep 7, 2012 | 6:55 pm
#752
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 1999
Posts: 12,097
Overall a step in the wrong direction, though!
Sep 7, 2012 | 9:52 pm
#753
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SGF
Programs: AS, AA, UA, AGR S+, Choice Platinum
Posts: 23,318
EF gets its data from a GDS, not from screen-scraping the UA website. So unless UA is simultaneously blocking inventory from travel agency reservation systems, my guess is EF will continue to have access to and display this data.
Sep 8, 2012 | 12:33 am
#754
Original Poster
Company Representative - ExpertFlyer
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,924
Today United Airlines has decided to remove award and upgrade class inventory from various channels, affecting ExpertFlyer. As such, United will be removed from the list of airlines in the Award & Upgrade search tool until further notice. In addition, all Active Flight Alerts for United award or upgrade class codes will be put into the Expired state. Should the award and upgrade data become available at a later date, we will again activate those Flight Alerts.
However, all other United data will still be available on ExpertFlyer including:
Thank you for your understanding in this matter and continued support of ExpertFlyer.com
-The ExpertFlyer.com Team
However, all other United data will still be available on ExpertFlyer including:
- Detailed regular fare class inventory via the Flight Availability search tool
- Flight Alerts for regular fare inventory classes
- Live Seat Maps and Seat Alerts
- Fare Information searches and all related fare data
- Flight Status, Flight Detail, Travel Information, and all other ExpertFlyer search tools.
Thank you for your understanding in this matter and continued support of ExpertFlyer.com
-The ExpertFlyer.com Team
Sep 8, 2012 | 9:50 am
#755
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: world
Programs: all
Posts: 1,422
<redacted>
I agree this hurts EF and users but I still find value in EF especially the alert system that has saved my bacon many times
I agree this hurts EF and users but I still find value in EF especially the alert system that has saved my bacon many times
Last edited by JDiver; Sep 8, 2012 at 1:32 pm Reason: redacted deleted post content
Sep 8, 2012 | 1:39 pm
#756
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT EXP; HH LT Diamond, Matre-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
<redacted> Airlines are withholding information they regard as proprietary or / and not allowing a number of sites from linking to show various data including miles accounts, etc. so it is not surprising the data shown by various aggregation sites are being affected.
Posts making unsupported claims or seeming to be attacks will continue to be summarily deleted.
Thanks,
JDiver, Senior Moderator
Posts making unsupported claims or seeming to be attacks will continue to be summarily deleted.
Thanks,
JDiver, Senior Moderator
Last edited by JDiver; Sep 8, 2012 at 5:32 pm Reason: redact proprietary information
Sep 8, 2012 | 5:06 pm
#757
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: SFO, CLT
Programs: AA Bonsai EXP (2.9 MM), AS Atmos Ag
Posts: 1,559
Bummer!
Thanks for the Info ExpertFlyer Voice. Obviously, this is no fault of EF, but this pinches all the same. I'm a loyal subscriber and will remain so as long as EF continues to show AA inventory, but I used EF to search for award travel on UA also.....so, this is a bummer....
Sep 8, 2012 | 5:32 pm
#758
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: SJC, SFO
Programs: UA, AA, SPG
Posts: 439
Your website is fantastic, but I only ever used it to look for UA upgrade inventory. Now that that's no longer possible, are you offering pro-rated refunds for people who wish to cancel service? Or perhaps put accounts like mine on hiatus until (hopefully) this information ever comes back, in which case I'm more than happy to continue as a subscriber for years to come?
Sep 8, 2012 | 7:08 pm
#759
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SGF
Programs: AS, AA, UA, AGR S+, Choice Platinum
Posts: 23,318
Sad I was wrong.
Sep 8, 2012 | 10:59 pm
#760
Original Poster
Company Representative - ExpertFlyer
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,924
Your website is fantastic, but I only ever used it to look for UA upgrade inventory. Now that that's no longer possible, are you offering pro-rated refunds for people who wish to cancel service? Or perhaps put accounts like mine on hiatus until (hopefully) this information ever comes back, in which case I'm more than happy to continue as a subscriber for years to come?
Sep 9, 2012 | 12:33 am
#761
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: SJC, SFO
Programs: UA, AA, SPG
Posts: 439
Thanks for your responsiveness -- I'm definitely willing to give it some time to get back what UA took away. Fingers crossed!
Sep 9, 2012 | 8:13 am
#762
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 940
Royal bummer on UA on this decision.
Sep 9, 2012 | 8:48 am
#763
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: TUS and any place close to a lav
Programs: UA 1.7MM
Posts: 5,424
Odd that EF seems to be taking a divergent path on this...
Sep 9, 2012 | 9:38 am
#764
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SGF
Programs: AS, AA, UA, AGR S+, Choice Platinum
Posts: 23,318
That's because KVS is screen-scraping their information. The tool can still screen-scrape to see if the UA site will let someone upgrade (in which case, an upgrade is available, and KVS can say there is upgrade space). EF, on the other hand, pays for their data through official sources (GDSes), which apparently United is completely blacking inventory out from, so EF has no way of knowing anything about upgrade space.
Sep 9, 2012 | 9:58 am
#765
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: PIT
Programs: UA GS, AA EXP, Amex Plat
Posts: 314
That's because KVS is screen-scraping their information. The tool can still screen-scrape to see if the UA site will let someone upgrade (in which case, an upgrade is available, and KVS can say there is upgrade space). EF, on the other hand, pays for their data through official sources (GDSes), which apparently United is completely blacking inventory out from, so EF has no way of knowing anything about upgrade space.
As an EF subscriber, I couldn't care less how they get the info, but if EF was not screen-scraping, maybe it should make that clear, as its silence is being taken as an admission of scraping.