Is this an example of overselling?

[MH_fan]

Given all the recent talk of being downgraded from business class because of overselling, I thought I'd just play around with dummy bookings and comparing them to EF and here's what I found...
Using QF81 from SYD to SIN departing Nov 29 as an example: You can still buy flex economy fares for that flight with a warning that there are less than 5 seats available (specifically for that price?). On EF, there is no Y inventory left at all. Is this proof of overselling??

 

[markis10]

Its quite normal for Qantas to sell J as Y in that scenario, so it would be a fair assumption that its overselling the Y cabin.

 

[MH_fan]

Its quite normal for Qantas to sell J as Y in that scenario, so it would be a fair assumption that its overselling the Y cabin.

Thanks. I'd never really thought about it until recently with the recent downgrade debacle on QF. I wonder if there'll be op-ups with that flight...

 

[markis10]

Thanks. I'd never really thought about it until recently with the recent downgrade debacle on QF. I wonder if there'll be op-ups with that flight...

If they are selling J as Y then yes there will be opups.

 

[serfty]

If they are selling J as Y then yes there will be opups.

likely - but generally only after all those doing points upgrades get theirs first.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Airlines sometimes keep some inventory for themselves that is not available to a travel agent (hence not visible to expertflyer) so it may not necessarily be an oversell.

 

[Lucky_man]

Sadly, for QFi, I have found Expertflyer to be unreliable. It will often show 2 or 3 I seats when in fact there are none (as per website and as per phone call to bookings). It has caused my quite some planning headaches.

 

[serfty]

Sadly, for QFi, I have found Expertflyer to be unreliable. It will often show 2 or 3 I seats when in fact there are none (as per website and as per phone call to bookings). It has caused my quite some planning headaches.

What you are seeing is that QF are making I available to USA purchases but not to Australian purchases.

You can do an alternative check with E/F on UK purchases.

 

[Lucky_man]

What you are seeing is that QF are making I available to USA purchases but not to Australian purchases.

You can do an alternative check with E/F on UK purchases.

I have tried both UK and USA - same issue.

 

[serfty]

I have tried both UK and USA - same issue.

Ok, then it's I available to both UK and USA when not to Oz.

E/F merely formats what the GDS query returns. It's not E/F that's incorrect, it's Qantas' Yield Management.

 

[Lucky_man]

As I understand it then Expertflyer is performing what it does properly - it is just that what it does, has limited value for planning itineraries on Australian tickets.

 

[jpk]

Yes I've seen this a few times, when the buckets on EF clearly don't align to QF website. I've always understood this to be the POS differences, as I've only seen it with AU originating flights.

 

[Lucky_man]

While we are OT,
Any tools like expert flyer that allow it to be set to show Australian availability.