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Has anyone noticed that many routes have close to zero availability for redemptions over the next few days?
Berlin is a great example. And these flights are not even expensive!Probably because there has been wide spread flight disruption over the past 48 hrs or so due to poor weather across all carriers.
So inventory gets snapped up for a variety of weird and wonderful re routings.
There is normal availability on the BCN route (2 flights tomorrow, then 6, then 4, then 6 in the following days).
So as TGLoyalty says, its probably a weather issue rather than an ‘enhancement’.
Has anyone noticed that many routes have close to zero availability for redemptions over the next few days?
Berlin is a great example. And these flights are not even expensive!I’m not surprised at Berlin – there is a large LGBT event there this weekend and people travel from across the world to attend.
I looked myself as I messed up my cash booking and thought avios would be cheaper than the cost of changing / buying new flights but little availability.
The algorithm is definitely working overtime re avios flights just now. Flew to Glasgow at short notice last Tuesday and all economy seats back into London airports (there were a lot) were pulled 24 hours beforehand, only business avios seats left. On boarding the plane it was less than half full, so definitely a commercial decision on BAs part
I’m not sure it is because as above disruption is rife at the moment with planes going tech, weather etc empty seats doesn’t mean the seats weren’t sold to connecting passengers that didn’t make it.
I’m see plenty of CE availability for 2 over the next 48 hrs and some ET
At 11pm on the Sunday night there was economy reward seats available for every flight into LHR, LGW and LCY from GLA on the Tuesday. On checking at 6am on Monday morning there was no economy flights available. As the flights originates in GLA connecting passengers not showing wasn’t an issue. Algorithm or otherwise a decision was made overnight to pull all economy avios reward seats but leave all club avios reward and in some instances increase the availability. The flight I took had 8 club reward flights available at the time I booked on Monday night
So because of what happened once on GLA flights there’s a new Algo worldwide? Except I can book flights at 7am tomorrow with Avios right now. Check LHR-AMS yourself.
The fact is there’s no system wide block on ET flights with 24 hours as you can book them as I type.
Nope just pointing out that the weight of evidence suggests the seats were pulled for commercial reasons rather than the operational reasons that you suggested.
Also no one has suggested there is a new Algo or a system wide block on ET flights, only that BA appear to have been tinkering with avios availability over the past couple of weeks (and no doubt observing the results with interest)
No I just suggested why empty planes and no tickets on sale happen. Cash or Avios.
I don’t think it’s as interesting or deliberate as you think it is as there’s no requirement for them to release Avios tickets last min it’s just might be wise to open them up to get bums in seats except when they expect widespread issues then it’s expensive due to potential compensation claims etc.
But obviously if they can sell you the ticket as CE rather than ET for double the cost it might soften the potential blow?
Sometimes you get Avios when there’s no cash at all as well.
But to say it means commercial not operational because the flight originated in GLA so connecting isn’t a consideration isn’t true either what is a significant party of travellers are connecting to long haul which is cancelled before their GLA-LHR/LGW they will go on another plane.
Domestics are usually the first to go when there are plane shortages too.
I struggle to see how having 8 economy seats and 2 club rewards seats available just before midnight one night becomes 0 economy and 8 club seats available the next morning for operational reasons rather than commercial and that happened across practically every flight out of Glasgow. But lets agree to disagree and move on.
Availability continues to be poor. Cash fares are ridiculous for Berlin over the next few days, so that’s probably the reason here. But this is a trend overall, not an anomaly.
Still normal availability on my route. I think you need more evidence before you say this is a trend overall, rather than specific to one route.
Or a certain timeframe / event.
Plenty from Berlin to Heathrow too.
Seatspy showing lots of ET options today/tomorrow and pretty much everywhere this week.
Are cash fares ridiculous? Can buy an outbound tomorrow with return next week for £200 ish.
Last min without a Sunday night are always £££
By trend, I mean this route is very expensive with BA.
Cash fares for tomorrow: the cheapest is 288, with a maximum just over 1k.What you probably need to do is look at the loads on expertflyer and see if there really is a trend to restrict Avios flights or actually they are just that high demand.
I guess with ET you can always go hoooome….
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