Scarlett
Established Member
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2011
- Posts
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Hello all,
I need some advice on a couple of AV related booking issues. This is for cash fares, not Lifemiles, but figure this is the best place to ask as there are more likely to be previous AV flyers in this section of AFF.
I’m trying to book flights from SCL to IAD in October. Google suggests a number of decent options and the one I’m keen to try out is a well priced AV J ticket.
1. The best price is about AUD1200 shown on Google flights and is available through a number of online travel agents. Booking direct with AV just doesn’t show at all for this fare. I checked ITA Matrix and it appears to be an F class fare FLOB4GRS (not first - they’re just using that fare bucket for discount J). Should I book this fare through an OTA, and if so, which is the least worst? Budgetair? (Australian) or maybe Trip.com (Singapore based)? Is there another way?
2. If I search for the flights direct on the AV site, similar flights come up for just under USD1200. Is there any way to find out which fare bucket these are being sold from? (I’m guessing D)
3. If I do choose F code fares, they earn nothing with TK (who I would be crediting my *A flights too), or most other *A programs. This issue is discussed on Flyertalk and seems to be due to AV starting to use the F bucket (they didn’t previously, as they don’t have first class), but not notifying their *A partners, so none of them have updated their FFP earn tables. Is it worth trying to buy up to D fares as they earn at 150% of miles flown in TK Miles&Smiles so would get me about 15% of required earn for *G requal?
4. If I do want to purchase D fare code tickets, but can’t prove that is what I’d be buying from the AV website, are there other purchase options? The fare is apparently filed as DLOB4BRS.
5. Finally, the specific flights shown in Google flights searches, and on all the OTAs (SCL-BOG-SAL-IAD) is not shown on the AV site. They instead have a more expensive SCL-BOG-GUA-IAD. Has anyone else seen an issue with the AV website showing different availability to Google or OTA results, for the same search?
Thanks for any help or suggestions
I need some advice on a couple of AV related booking issues. This is for cash fares, not Lifemiles, but figure this is the best place to ask as there are more likely to be previous AV flyers in this section of AFF.
I’m trying to book flights from SCL to IAD in October. Google suggests a number of decent options and the one I’m keen to try out is a well priced AV J ticket.
1. The best price is about AUD1200 shown on Google flights and is available through a number of online travel agents. Booking direct with AV just doesn’t show at all for this fare. I checked ITA Matrix and it appears to be an F class fare FLOB4GRS (not first - they’re just using that fare bucket for discount J). Should I book this fare through an OTA, and if so, which is the least worst? Budgetair? (Australian) or maybe Trip.com (Singapore based)? Is there another way?
2. If I search for the flights direct on the AV site, similar flights come up for just under USD1200. Is there any way to find out which fare bucket these are being sold from? (I’m guessing D)
3. If I do choose F code fares, they earn nothing with TK (who I would be crediting my *A flights too), or most other *A programs. This issue is discussed on Flyertalk and seems to be due to AV starting to use the F bucket (they didn’t previously, as they don’t have first class), but not notifying their *A partners, so none of them have updated their FFP earn tables. Is it worth trying to buy up to D fares as they earn at 150% of miles flown in TK Miles&Smiles so would get me about 15% of required earn for *G requal?
4. If I do want to purchase D fare code tickets, but can’t prove that is what I’d be buying from the AV website, are there other purchase options? The fare is apparently filed as DLOB4BRS.
5. Finally, the specific flights shown in Google flights searches, and on all the OTAs (SCL-BOG-SAL-IAD) is not shown on the AV site. They instead have a more expensive SCL-BOG-GUA-IAD. Has anyone else seen an issue with the AV website showing different availability to Google or OTA results, for the same search?
Thanks for any help or suggestions
