Inventory Control
Aug 22, 2005 | 1:42 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: HNL
Programs: UA Platinum 2MM, Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 209
Inventory Control
I am leaving in a few days with Mrs. hawaiisloth for a trip in first on saver award travel to LHR.
I made the reservation as soon as I could some 310 days ago, and the outbound was less than optimal (although I was very grateful I could get seats at all), with two redeyes--HNL (redeye)--LAX--ORD (on a three class plane
)--LHR (redeye getting in at 6:00 a.m.).
I had waitlisted, from the beginning, HNL-LAX or SFO (non-redeye)-LHR (redeye getting in around 1:00 p.m.).
The waitlists were not clearing. I made numerous phone calls, with requests to forward my waitlist requests to inventory control. None of the agents I spoke with would do that, nor would their supervisors. I e-mailed 1K customer service, and they responded there was nothing they could do.
Yesterday, I reached an agent who was very sympathetic, and said she would forward my request to "inventory control." I hadn't even asked, because I had given up asking--inventory control, it seemed, was off limits.
This morning, all waitlists cleared. Do you think this was just the timing of the flights (the waitlisted flights were 72 hours out this morning, but united.com shows no saver availability at all) or the magic of "inventory control."
Regardless, I was more than happy to pay the extra $200.
I made the reservation as soon as I could some 310 days ago, and the outbound was less than optimal (although I was very grateful I could get seats at all), with two redeyes--HNL (redeye)--LAX--ORD (on a three class plane
)--LHR (redeye getting in at 6:00 a.m.).I had waitlisted, from the beginning, HNL-LAX or SFO (non-redeye)-LHR (redeye getting in around 1:00 p.m.).
The waitlists were not clearing. I made numerous phone calls, with requests to forward my waitlist requests to inventory control. None of the agents I spoke with would do that, nor would their supervisors. I e-mailed 1K customer service, and they responded there was nothing they could do.
Yesterday, I reached an agent who was very sympathetic, and said she would forward my request to "inventory control." I hadn't even asked, because I had given up asking--inventory control, it seemed, was off limits.
This morning, all waitlists cleared. Do you think this was just the timing of the flights (the waitlisted flights were 72 hours out this morning, but united.com shows no saver availability at all) or the magic of "inventory control."
Regardless, I was more than happy to pay the extra $200.
Aug 22, 2005 | 1:48 pm
#2
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Philadelphia
Programs: SPG Plat
Posts: 169
Im
In my experience it is usually just getting a live body to call IM directly and make a request. Sure the closer to departure the better, thay track sales in C pretty closely.
Aug 22, 2005 | 3:07 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Programs: Bar Alliance Gold
Posts: 16,280
Inventory Management seems to release seats on their own schedule, as even UGS members are reporting they cannot get IM to budge for them, so chances are very good that if you had done nothing, they would have cleared at that time.
Aug 22, 2005 | 4:04 pm
#4
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: PDX/HND
Programs: UA GS 4MM
Posts: 558
Originally Posted by hawaiisloth
HNL (redeye)--LAX--ORD (on a three class plane )--LHR (redeye getting in at 6:00 a.m.).
)--LHR (redeye getting in at 6:00 a.m.).upgrades took a while to come through, but i did not have to call repeatedly.
but get them upgrades! i just flew in back for the first time in a very long time, sea-iad in 9f on a 757, and it was sucky to the max.
