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, 2015, 4:54 pm
#991
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Benicia, California, USA
Programs: AA PLT,AS,UA PP,J6,FB,EY,LH,SQ,HH Dmd,Hyatt Glbl,Marriott Plat,IHG Plat,Accor Gold
Posts: 10,820
I can't speak about Emirates, but I use ExpertFlyer frequently for American and occasionally for other airlines. Basically, I subscribe to it and like it a lot, and it generally is correct if it shows upgrades or award seats available. But occasionally when I call AA the phone agent will find upgrade/award availability that hasn't shown up on EF.
A few other pieces of EF advice:
1. Occasionally if you look for availability from point A to point B and/or from B to C, you'll find it whereas looking for A to C (via B) doesn't show up at all. For instance, with AA I occasionally find that if I simply search for economy to business upgrades from SFO to LHR, it won't show availability even though LAX to LHR is available and should show up as part of the SFO-LHR search.
2. Conversely, even though EF correctly shows availability you might have to ask the phone agent to check A to B and B to C if she can't find A to B to C as one search.
3. Some phone agents are better than others, so if you encounter one who sounds unhelpful or ignorant in trying to find seats that EF shows as available, just politely HUACA (Hang Up and Call Again).
A few other pieces of EF advice:
1. Occasionally if you look for availability from point A to point B and/or from B to C, you'll find it whereas looking for A to C (via B) doesn't show up at all. For instance, with AA I occasionally find that if I simply search for economy to business upgrades from SFO to LHR, it won't show availability even though LAX to LHR is available and should show up as part of the SFO-LHR search.
2. Conversely, even though EF correctly shows availability you might have to ask the phone agent to check A to B and B to C if she can't find A to B to C as one search.
3. Some phone agents are better than others, so if you encounter one who sounds unhelpful or ignorant in trying to find seats that EF shows as available, just politely HUACA (Hang Up and Call Again).
Sep 7, 2015, 9:35 pm
#992
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 43
Average.
I've seen Y in the 9's J in the 7's F in the 4's and the flight was 30 plus over in Y and went out full.
You know its over booked in Y if Y is 0 or just the Y bucket is 9.
You can not account for stand by tickets ie staff travel or missed connections.
Its a guide nothing more.
I've seen Y in the 9's J in the 7's F in the 4's and the flight was 30 plus over in Y and went out full.
You know its over booked in Y if Y is 0 or just the Y bucket is 9.
You can not account for stand by tickets ie staff travel or missed connections.
Its a guide nothing more.
Sep 7, 2015, 9:37 pm
#993
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 43
I can't speak about Emirates, but I use ExpertFlyer frequently for American and occasionally for other airlines. Basically, I subscribe to it and like it a lot, and it generally is correct if it shows upgrades or award seats available. But occasionally when I call AA the phone agent will find upgrade/award availability that hasn't shown up on EF.
A few other pieces of EF advice:
1. Occasionally if you look for availability from point A to point B and/or from B to C, you'll find it whereas looking for A to C (via B) doesn't show up at all. For instance, with AA I occasionally find that if I simply search for economy to business upgrades from SFO to LHR, it won't show availability even though LAX to LHR is available and should show up as part of the SFO-LHR search.
2. Conversely, even though EF correctly shows availability you might have to ask the phone agent to check A to B and B to C if she can't find A to B to C as one search.
3. Some phone agents are better than others, so if you encounter one who sounds unhelpful or ignorant in trying to find seats that EF shows as available, just politely HUACA (Hang Up and Call Again).
A few other pieces of EF advice:
1. Occasionally if you look for availability from point A to point B and/or from B to C, you'll find it whereas looking for A to C (via B) doesn't show up at all. For instance, with AA I occasionally find that if I simply search for economy to business upgrades from SFO to LHR, it won't show availability even though LAX to LHR is available and should show up as part of the SFO-LHR search.
2. Conversely, even though EF correctly shows availability you might have to ask the phone agent to check A to B and B to C if she can't find A to B to C as one search.
3. Some phone agents are better than others, so if you encounter one who sounds unhelpful or ignorant in trying to find seats that EF shows as available, just politely HUACA (Hang Up and Call Again).
Taking a flight soon after using EF and will be able to see how it compares! I am really hoping EF is correct this time around!
Sep 7, 2015, 9:38 pm
#994
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 43
ExpertFlyer shows exactly the information the airline publishes to the global reservation systems (what travel agents use). To that end it 100% accurately shows what the airlines are publishing.
The Flight Availability results show at least how many tickets and airline is willing to sell in each fare class for a flight. It is not a hard indicator of exactly how many tickets are left due to oversell situations.
The Flight Availability results show at least how many tickets and airline is willing to sell in each fare class for a flight. It is not a hard indicator of exactly how many tickets are left due to oversell situations.
Sep 7, 2015, 10:27 pm
#995
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: DXB
Programs: EK, AA, DL, UA, SPG, HGP, Amex
Posts: 1,208
I use it often for D/Z class (upgrade) availability and alerts.
Sep 7, 2015, 11:06 pm
#996
Left Expert Flyer 4/23
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,741
I can't speak about Emirates, but I use ExpertFlyer frequently for American and occasionally for other airlines. Basically, I subscribe to it and like it a lot, and it generally is correct if it shows upgrades or award seats available. But occasionally when I call AA the phone agent will find upgrade/award availability that hasn't shown up on EF.
A few other pieces of EF advice:
1. Occasionally if you look for availability from point A to point B and/or from B to C, you'll find it whereas looking for A to C (via B) doesn't show up at all. For instance, with AA I occasionally find that if I simply search for economy to business upgrades from SFO to LHR, it won't show availability even though LAX to LHR is available and should show up as part of the SFO-LHR search.
2. Conversely, even though EF correctly shows availability you might have to ask the phone agent to check A to B and B to C if she can't find A to B to C as one search.
A few other pieces of EF advice:
1. Occasionally if you look for availability from point A to point B and/or from B to C, you'll find it whereas looking for A to C (via B) doesn't show up at all. For instance, with AA I occasionally find that if I simply search for economy to business upgrades from SFO to LHR, it won't show availability even though LAX to LHR is available and should show up as part of the SFO-LHR search.
2. Conversely, even though EF correctly shows availability you might have to ask the phone agent to check A to B and B to C if she can't find A to B to C as one search.
Sep 7, 2015, 11:25 pm
#997
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: MAN DXB ✈️
Programs: Skywards Gold
Posts: 6,831
Oct 21, 2015, 6:46 am
#998
Moderator: Avianca, Travel Photography, Travel Technology & USA
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Far western edge of the La-La Land City limits
Programs: Emeritus VIP Fromins Deli Encino grandfathered successor program - UA MM & HH Diamond
Posts: 3,729
A number of posts have been relocated to the Expert Flyer Help Desk thread, for housekeeping and classification purposes. See beginning around post #961:
ExpertFlyer.com Help Desk Thread
ExpertFlyer.com Help Desk Thread
Oct 28, 2015, 10:56 am
#999
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: MAN,TLV
Programs: Silver:BA,VX,AB, QF. Gold:A3,RJ,AZ,GF, EY,SPG,Marriott,Choice, Carlson. Dia/Plat:HH,IHG,BW,Accor
Posts: 1,965
Overbookings
I'm wondering how overbookings work with eExpertflyer availability. As many airlines sell more seats than there actually is on the flight, does Expertflyer show these overbookable seats as available? For example, if I see on Expertflyer that every class is 0, but Y has 2 seats available, are these 2 seats overbooking? Or maybe, when I see every class is 0 even Y, maybe that means all regular seats are sold, but it would still be possible to book a seat at risk of overbooking?
In other words, if I see one seat left available, am I booking an "overbooking seat" or would EF not show these as available?
Thanks.
In other words, if I see one seat left available, am I booking an "overbooking seat" or would EF not show these as available?
Thanks.
Oct 28, 2015, 11:00 am
#1000
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: St. Louis, MO - AA PLT/2.98MM (Lifetime PLT), Delta PM, SPG Gold, AMEX Plat
Programs: TW Elite (RIP), CO OnePass
Posts: 1,923
I'm wondering how overbookings work with eExpertflyer availability. As many airlines sell more seats than there actually is on the flight, does Expertflyer show these overbookable seats as available? For example, if I see on Expertflyer that every class is 0, but Y has 2 seats available, are these 2 seats overbooking? Or maybe, when I see every class is 0 even Y, maybe that means all regular seats are sold, but it would still be possible to book a seat at risk of overbooking?
Authorized sale levels are not publicly available.
Greg
Oct 28, 2015, 11:01 am
#1001
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: MAN,TLV
Programs: Silver:BA,VX,AB, QF. Gold:A3,RJ,AZ,GF, EY,SPG,Marriott,Choice, Carlson. Dia/Plat:HH,IHG,BW,Accor
Posts: 1,965
There is no way to know from ExpertFlyer availability if a flight is overbooked or not. Overbooking is airline and route independent. Some airlines will book only to aircraft capacity... others will overbook by 25% on some routes.
Authorized sale levels are not publicly available.
Greg
Authorized sale levels are not publicly available.
Greg
Oct 28, 2015, 11:10 am
#1002
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: oneword Emerald
Posts: 20,634
Oct 28, 2015, 11:14 am
#1003
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: MAN,TLV
Programs: Silver:BA,VX,AB, QF. Gold:A3,RJ,AZ,GF, EY,SPG,Marriott,Choice, Carlson. Dia/Plat:HH,IHG,BW,Accor
Posts: 1,965
There is no way to know from ExpertFlyer availability if a flight is overbooked or not. Overbooking is airline and route independent. Some airlines will book only to aircraft capacity... others will overbook by 25% on some routes.
Authorized sale levels are not publicly available.
Greg
Authorized sale levels are not publicly available.
Greg
If I check for an airline that does overbook, and I see 1 last seat showing on EF as available, does that mean there is an overbooking? Yes or No?
Oct 28, 2015, 11:32 am
#1004
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: St. Louis, MO - AA PLT/2.98MM (Lifetime PLT), Delta PM, SPG Gold, AMEX Plat
Programs: TW Elite (RIP), CO OnePass
Posts: 1,923
Let's pretend there is a 50 seat aircraft.
Airline A authorizes 53 tickets to be sold for a flight. 50 tickets have already been sold.
Airline B authorizes 50 tickets to be sold for a flight. 47 tickets have already been sold.
In both examples, ExpertFlyer will show Y3, because both airlines are willing to sell 3 more tickets for each flight.
In the case of Airline A, the flight will be oversold with the next ticket sold.
In the case of Airline B, even if all 3 tickets are sold, the flight will not be overbooked.
Unless you know the authorization level for each flight -- and you don't because it is not publicly available -- you won't know if the flight is overbooked or not.
Greg
Oct 28, 2015, 11:34 am
#1005
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: St. Louis, MO - AA PLT/2.98MM (Lifetime PLT), Delta PM, SPG Gold, AMEX Plat
Programs: TW Elite (RIP), CO OnePass
Posts: 1,923
One additional comment, even if an airline overbooks flights... overbooking levels vary by flight, route and destination.
American Airlines has historically zeroed out inventory in the case of IRROPS to accommodate impacted passengers. in that situation, ExpertFlyer will show no availability even though there are plenty of available seats.
Greg
American Airlines has historically zeroed out inventory in the case of IRROPS to accommodate impacted passengers. in that situation, ExpertFlyer will show no availability even though there are plenty of available seats.
Greg