QF Phantom Award availability

[equus]

Just a warning - the IT gremlins with QF systems continue. Not sure if it is restricted to domestic, or affects International as well, but the QF website (and the IT system in general, as Expert Flyer is showing the same thing - so maybe it is not the website, but something deeper), is showing phantom award availability.

Fare bucket U is showing up (EF), and Award Seats are showing on the QF booking page on the web, but when you try to book (or confirm upgrades in my case), you get "Seats not available". In my case, the clue was instead of the offer to register for a domestic upgrade, it tried to process, but failed.

Talking to the Call Centre, the CSR said there had been problems (and lots of angry and upset customers), but that it was supposed to have been fixed - but obviously not.

Just beware - that award you through might be available, may be phantom - and this presumably extends to inventory visible to partners as well.

 

[fairbasa]

Strange I haven't had an issue with QF's own award availability bringing up phantom results. I imagine EF scrapes QF's website so any phantom availability will be replicated there.

 

[sudoer]

I imagine EF scrapes QF's website so any pain availability will be replicated there.

I don't believe that's correct. EF has direct contracts with GDS providers. Their website doesn't list which, but this post from 2006 says they were using Sabre, Galileo and Apollo at that time.

The airlines wouldn't be happy if EF were constantly scraping their web interfaces for things like seat alerts - it would place a tremendous load on their servers..

 

[fairbasa]

Fair enough, I'll get back in my box then

 

[diningdecadence]

so the call centre could book for you, or it was proper phantom availability?

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Fare bucket U is showing up (EF), and Award Seats are showing on the QF booking page on the web, but when you try to book (or confirm upgrades in my case), you get "Seats not available". In my case, the clue was instead of the offer to register for a domestic upgrade, it tried to process, but failed.

What sectors and what dates were you looking at?

You can use JAL Mileage Bank for award availability for One World airlines like CX & QF as it will give you the actual number of award seats avail eg 'U3'.

 

[equus]

It is supposedly "real" phantom - call centre could not book.

EF shows U2 or U4 - looking at sectors MEL to BNE on Sun 5 Feb - QF634 to be precise. Looking for 2 pax. EF shows U2, QF shows available when searching for Business Classic award, but unable to process upgrade.

CSR advised it was some sort of "timing" issue with the inventory, and it wasn't really available.

There is definitely something screwy, as there are two normal responses when requesting a points upgrade online (well 3, if you count the "you are too late" if you try less than 24 hours prior to departure).

1. The booking works, and you get advised points, they get deducted, and you advise any necessary family relationships.
2. You are advised that there are no seats, and asked if you want to wait list - also asking for family relationships.

My past experience with reward upgrades failing online when inventory is available, is that you end up in situation 2, then a call to the Call Centre can get it forced through.

This time, it processes just like option 1 - same "booking happening" splash screen, but then comes back with "seats not available at this time, please try later". This looks to me like the page for the option that inventory was available on enquiry, but the booking failed because it had been taken (i.e. what would happen when two people look for the same seat, and one gets in first - this is what the second one sees).

It would appear that whatever in the QF system is supply inventory to inquiries generated by their website, or any GDS is giving out phantom information (and from what the CSR said, possibly from an older version of a database, not the real information being used by the actual booking engine).

Perhaps the work experience kids left the inquiries pointing at the test database?