V-Flyer

I booked yestereday flying ec to vegas from london.

checked today and there are no upgrades available for reward seats today -304 days to go!!
checked tonight and there are pe on the 30th of august and 2 new reward seats on the 3rd and 10th
checked today and no pe upgrades appeared. more reward flights for the 9th appeared

checked today 302 days to go and upgrades galore. yeah upgraded to pe on the way out. bagged seats in the bubble. omg spent all my miles and upgrades

304 days. That may give rise to RSI. When I need them, I check a dozen times a day!

I've also noticed a change in the algorithm over the past year. It used to be if one was on top of things and checked way-way out for a future trip, it would be possible to grab some miles Upper Class tickets or upgrades. Now I think they hold these until closer in, releasing seats a month or two in advance (or more in advance in the winter like Jan-Feb)

Anyway, not sure exactly about the pattern, but I agree - something has changed!

Try looking for a miles flight from LON - SFO for Jul/Aug 16. There's not a single seat in any class outbound for the whole of Jul 16 and only 1 economy seat return on 23 Aug 16.

Something has changed and I don't like it :(

casey0999 wrote:I've also noticed a change in the algorithm over the past year. It used to be if one was on top of things and checked way-way out for a future trip, it would be possible to grab some miles Upper Class tickets or upgrades. Now I think they hold these until closer in, releasing seats a month or two in advance (or more in advance in the winter like Jan-Feb)

Anyway, not sure exactly about the pattern, but I agree - something has changed!

I think it must depend on destination.
I've just checked Atlanta for August/Sept and there are reward seats available in all classes on all days.
Certainly when I booked my flight to MCO for next Feb at the first opportunity there were seats available.
Dick D

You're probably correct! I was checking SFO<->LHR only in Jan/Feb (a few dates available in UC/PE cabins). April onward though, nothing except in E!

stuart_f wrote:Try looking for a miles flight from LON - SFO for Jul/Aug 16. There's not a single seat in any class outbound for the whole of Jul 16 and only 1 economy seat return on 23 Aug 16.

Something has changed and I don't like it :(

Probably something with Delta & more share codes is making less reward seats?

I think you're all reading way too much into it, personally!

SlimpyJones wrote:I think you're all reading way too much into it, personally!

Could not agree more.

My sixpenny worth is we should not forget how "popular" the EX-EU routings have become (if the traffic on V Flyer is anything to go by) and this is no doubt feeding the algorithms on the VS Reservations IT (and other Airlines for that matter) to the extent that if the IT thinks seats are likely to be sold, why offer Rewards??

This could also explain why Rewards become available nearer the time

As I say, this is just my take on things and could be pure pie in the sky

buns