Flight Availability/Loadings & Upgrade Probability Help Desk

[Sprucegoose]

PLEASE INCLUDE DATE, FLIGHT NUMBER, ORIGIN & DESTINATION IN ALL REQUESTS

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>>>> ADDED BY ADMIN (6 Sept 2010) <<<<

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Background to this thread
We have noticed an increase in the posting of questions about seat availability on specific flights. These are all valid questions and we all appreciate the efforts our members go to to provide answers.

The only drawback is that our forums can become "cluttered" with specific questions about availability on specific flights. This tends to reduce the overall usability of our site.
We have therefore created this new consolidated thread where you can ask questions about seat availability on specific flights. Hopefully, this will reduce clutter and improve useability.

Guidelines for posting in this thread
Please post questions about availability of specific flights or upgrade probability in this new consolidated thread. Be sure to include the airline, flight number, date, origin and destination and any other relevant detail.

When answering questions, please include the original question. This will assist in readability and management of the thread.

Thanks!

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For Questions about Aircraft Configuration and Seat Availability, please use this thread:​

Understanding [Fare Buckets] Expert Flyer

I'd appreciate some help understanding the information EF provides. For example, F6 A6 J9 C9 D9 I0 B9 H9 K9 M9 R9 L9 V9 S0 N0 Q0 O0 X0 E0 What letters do I look at to try to work out how many seats are still available in economy? What letters do I look at to try to work out how many...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

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See this thread for hints on how to read loadings:

Interpreting and Understanding Expert Flyer​

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If looking for, say Qantas points upgrades, look for A class for First, mid to high D or any I class for Business and any R for Premium Economy.

Look for the most expensive category of the cabin YOU are currently booked in as being sold out e.g. J0 to first, W0 to Business & Y0 to PE for increased op-up chances. Also, look for availability on the discount premium buckets (A, P, I, D, U, T & Z inventories).

Conversely, look for high numbers in the discount economy buckets (N, O, Q, E & X inventories) for reduced op-up chances.

Seat maps can be a VERY rough guide but note that just because a seat is not showing as allocated does not mean that seat hasn't been sold. Not everyone pre-selects seats.

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>>>> END OF ADMIN UPDATE <<<<

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Original thread title: update on QF93 on 12 sept

Appreciate it if someone could check EP for loadings.

thnxs

SPRUCE

 

[suparockin]

it seams a general rule of thumb that if no J to sell, then upgrades are not looking good. But the seat map shows 10 seats blocked, and the rest allocated, so there may be a glimmer of hope for some upgrades, given all J passengers can pick their seats in advance of online checkin.

How can you tell some seats are 'blocked' and what would that mean anyway? That they are sold but the people haven't selected their seats yet?

 

[suparockin]

Weird.

I just checked the 'Finnair' flight on Flighttracker (it's a code-share) and it shows 9 available in J class - since it's a code share should I assume that their availability will 'cascade' back to Qantas and thus to me possibly?

SYD to BKK

(AY) Finnair 5002
Operated By Qantas


Departs:
10:05 AM
SYD Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport


Arrives:
3:35 PM
BKK Suvarnabhumi Airport


Equip:
333

Unavailable​

Available Seats:

First:	n/a	Business:	9 (at least)	Coach:	9 (at least)	Other:	n/a
Fare Classes:			J/9 C/0 D/0 I/0		Y/4 B/4 H/4 K/4 M/9 P/9 T/0 L/0 V/9 S/0 N/0 Q/0 O/0 Z/0 R/0 G/0

 

[OATEK]

Weird.

I just checked the 'Finnair' flight on Flighttracker (it's a code-share) and it shows 9 available in J class - since it's a code share should I assume that their availability will 'cascade' back to Qantas and thus to me possibly?

SYD to BKK

(AY) Finnair 5002
Operated By Qantas


Departs:
10:05 AM
SYD Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport


Arrives:
3:35 PM
BKK Suvarnabhumi Airport


Equip:
333

Unavailable​

Available Seats:

First:	n/a	Business:	9 (at least)	Coach:	9 (at least)	Other:	n/a
Fare Classes:			J/9 C/0 D/0 I/0		Y/4 B/4 H/4 K/4 M/9 P/9 T/0 L/0 V/9 S/0 N/0 Q/0 O/0 Z/0 R/0 G/0

I remember some time ago asking why so many seats were blocked on QF63 to JNB and was told they were held back for the SAA code share. So yes I believe it does happen, but not sure if it happens this close to departure.

 

[OATEK]

How can you tell some seats are 'blocked' and what would that mean anyway? That they are sold but the people haven't selected their seats yet?

How did you go?

To answer your question above, when I checked on Monday, the seat map on expert flyer had 10 seats with a cross. Today, as the plane is being readied for the off, the seat map looks like this with 2 seats still blocked:


So we have gone down from 10 seats blocked to 2 seats blocked over last day or so.

 

[LACE]

Thanks everyone for your help. I decided to just bite the bullet and transfer the points. Will let you know if he has any luck with J or Y+. Unfortunately he doesn't have status anymore but will keep my fingers crossed.

If anyone is interested my dad did get his J upgrade on QF 28. Came through last night

 

[suparockin]

How did you go?

To answer your question above, when I checked on Monday, the seat map on expert flyer had 10 seats with a cross. Today, as the plane is being readied for the off, the seat map looks like this with 2 seats still blocked:

View attachment 26610
So we have gone down from 10 seats blocked to 2 seats blocked over last day or so.

Weird story - I got crazy gastro last night so had to pull out of the trip.

As an aside, I didn't get the upgrade anyway. Kinda lucky under the circumstances.

 

[defurax]

If anyone is interested my dad did get his J upgrade on QF 28. Came through last night

I think that assessing upgrade probability on QF27/28 is more complex than on regular QFi flights. I was upgraded twice on QF27 with inventory of J2 and J1. The fact that a number of seats are "blocked" for LAN complicates the predictions IMO.

 

[OATEK]

Weird story - I got crazy gastro last night so had to pull out of the trip.

As an aside, I didn't get the upgrade anyway. Kinda lucky under the circumstances.

Better luck next time.

 

[suparockin]

Question - I put in an upgrade from PE to J on QF21 SYD-NRT FOR Wednesday 2nd of April for me and my wife, just checked Flighttracker because it's 48 h to the flight, the last 4 seats in J have disappeared but Qantas website booking upgrade request is still unconfirmed?

Shouldnt it say 'unsuccessful' ? Is it still there on the remote chance that two PAX cancel? I did not take the 'upgrade at gate' option.

Note - there are only two economy seats available

edit - weird, Seat Alerts has 9 seats 'blocked' (still not sure what that means?) with two seats showing 'available' ?

Talk about confusing!

 

[defurax]

deleted...

 

[suparockin]

Question - I put in an upgrade from PE to J on QF21 SYD-NRT FOR Wednesday 2nd of April for me and my wife, just checked Flighttracker because it's 48 h to the flight, the last 4 seats in J have disappeared but Qantas website booking upgrade request is still unconfirmed?

Shouldnt it say 'unsuccessful' ? Is it still there on the remote chance that two PAX cancel? I did not take the 'upgrade at gate' option.

Note - there are only two economy seats available

edit - weird, Seat Alerts has 9 seats 'blocked' (still not sure what that means?) with two seats showing 'available' ?

Talk about confusing!

Sorry for quoting myself, but does 'blocked' mean those PAX have already selected their seats?

 

[OATEK]

Sorry for quoting myself, but does 'blocked' mean those PAX have already selected their seats?

Blocked means it is blocked by the airline. If you look at this example for an upcoming flight I am on, you will see that the expert Flyer shows three seat status levels, coloured blue is "allocated", white is open to select, and the cross indicates they are blocked by the airline.



The reasons for seats being blocked includes to save them for either code-share partners, or status pax, or bulkheads for pax with children etc.

 

[suparockin]

Blocked means it is blocked by the airline. If you look at this example for an upcoming flight I am on, you will see that the expert Flyer shows three seat status levels, coloured blue is "allocated", white is open to select, and the cross indicates they are blocked by the airline.

View attachment 26775

The reasons for seats being blocked includes to save them for either code-share partners, or status pax, or bulkheads for pax with children etc.

When you say "save them for...status pax..." do you mean hold them so they can be used for upgrades? i.e. they aren't sold just held back?

Also - why would Seat Alerts show 2 white seats (unsold & unallocated) and yet Flighttracker shows 0 in the Business Class cabin ?

By the way - thanks so much for your help, and sorry about all the questions!

 

[OATEK]

When you say "save them for...status pax..." do you mean hold them so they can be used for upgrades? i.e. they aren't sold just held back?

Also - why would Seat Alerts show 2 white seats (unsold & unallocated) and yet Flighttracker shows 0 in the Business Class cabin ?

By the way - thanks so much for your help, and sorry about all the questions!

Seats are initially blocked for various reasons, for status pax to ensure they get the front rows of J for example. Similarly bulkhead seats are usually blocked at the start for pax with children. If a status pax books a seat, they might then block the adjoining seat as a shadow. The pattern of blocked seats changes as the sales and allocation process proceeds. As I understand it the vacant and blocked seats come in to the upgrade bundle only 24-48 hrs before departure as a general rule.

Bear in mind that Expert Flyer is a US service, and QF might return different results in different markets. The number of seats available for sale and the number of seats unallocated may rarely match as both are different, seats can be oversold etc.

These tools are only ever a guide. I checked EF yesterday for one of my flights and it showed two seats unallocated, but I could not see them through MMB.

 

[mannej]

Hi,

Can someone please check the following.

QF566 (PER-SYD 7/4/14)
QF568 (PER-SYD 8/4/14)
QF571 (SYD-PER 8/4/14)

Thanks (Also I believe 571 is scheduled as the 333, so skybeds at this stage. What is the configuration of the two PER-SYD flights at this stage?

 

[defurax]

Hi,

Can someone please check the following.

QF566 (PER-SYD 7/4/14)
QF568 (PER-SYD 8/4/14)
QF571 (SYD-PER 8/4/14)

Thanks (Also I believe 571 is scheduled as the 333, so skybeds at this stage. What is the configuration of the two PER-SYD flights at this stage?

In EF the 566 is a 333 the 568 a 332

 

[defurax]

I can't see any U inventory available on these 3 flights.

 

[JohnM]

A friend is chasing an UPG on QF571 SYD-PER on 5 June. Expert Flyer is showing 5 U but he says that the QF website reports no UPG available at this time. Does this make sense? If U seats are available, would they normally be open for capture? Should he phone QF?

 

[Princess Fiona]

A friend is chasing an UPG on QF571 SYD-PER on 5 June. Expert Flyer is showing 5 U but he says that the QF website reports no UPG available at this time. Does this make sense? If U seats are available, would they normally be open for capture? Should he phone QF?

Phone, the website is notoriously flaky with Dom upgrades online.

 

[JohnM]

Phone, the website is notoriously flaky with Dom upgrades online.

Thanks, PF. I thought that was probably the case.