Why waitlist when partner award available? How long for KF waitlist to clear?

[pogonation]

Hi there,

I need to fly HKG-DPS in C on 31JUL and originally planned to use AA miles to book CX for 2 people however there is no availability at all on CX so I am thinking of trading some AA miles for SQ. Before I do this, I want to make sure there is saver award availability on HKG-SIN-DPS so I have checked on krisflyer and it appears there is SIN-DPS availability but HKG-SIN is listed as waitlist (even when I try just one person).

First of all I find it kind of strange that it shows as waitlist when there is 1 seat on this sector available to partners anyway?

Secondly how long and how likely is this waitlist to clear for 2 pax?

Thanks for any help

[demue]

What do you mean by "1 seat on this sector available"? As far as I can tell you did a search for HKG-DPS oneway on KF for the given date. The system came back telling you waitlist for HKG-SIN adn award seat available for SIN-DPS no?

Just means that one sector has availability and the other does not. Just try the waitlist and sometimes it clears very quickly. It could even be that HKG-SIN by itself is available and SIN-DPS too but that together as HKG-DPS redemption one or both sectors become unavailable. That is possible depending on what SQ wants to offer for awards from HKG.

[pogonation]

What do you mean by "1 seat on this sector available"? As far as I can tell you did a search for HKG-DPS oneway on KF for the given date. The system came back telling you waitlist for HKG-SIN adn award seat available for SIN-DPS no?

Just means that one sector has availability and the other does not. Just try the waitlist and sometimes it clears very quickly. It could even be that HKG-SIN by itself is available and SIN-DPS too but that together as HKG-DPS redemption one or both sectors become unavailable. That is possible depending on what SQ wants to offer for awards from HKG.

When I said 1 seat on this sector is available to partner airlines I meant: If you search HKG-SIN using ANA award finder then it shows that 1 seat is available to *A partners. However when I search this sector alone on KF it shows waitlist only. I found this strange.

HKG-SIN is waitlist by itself and if booked as HKG-DPS. SIN-DPS is available both by itself and when including the HKG-SIN leg.

The problem for me is that I am wanting to trade miles with a FT member to get SQ miles (I do not use KF) so I am really wondering what my chances are of getting 2 seats fast if I waitlist? I have never waitlisted before so I don't know what to expect. I can't risk making a trade and then the SQ miles being worthless to me.

[KC*]

You can have a near empty flight and still get waitlisted. There is a quota for redemption for each category and from your description, it appears that A* partners and KF members may be drawing from a different bin.

Unfortunately, there is no way to tell if you will get a seat while on waitlist. Online waitlists are held only 3 days or so and very often turns a blank if the flight is popular and there are others ahead of you.

Luck of the draw. You may reduce the risk it by waitlisting on a few flights if you are flexible with your timing.

I've had the instance of a waitlisted seat being made available within hours of departure.

[225]

Its worth ringing the SQ call centre as sometimes the website is not up to date and they can source award seats for you. They helped me out the other day.

[demue]

When I said 1 seat on this sector is available to partner airlines I meant: If you search HKG-SIN using ANA award finder then it shows that 1 seat is available to *A partners. However when I search this sector alone on KF it shows waitlist only. I found this strange.

HKG-SIN is waitlist by itself and if booked as HKG-DPS. SIN-DPS is available both by itself and when including the HKG-SIN leg.

The problem for me is that I am wanting to trade miles with a FT member to get SQ miles (I do not use KF) so I am really wondering what my chances are of getting 2 seats fast if I waitlist? I have never waitlisted before so I don't know what to expect. I can't risk making a trade and then the SQ miles being worthless to me.

Well ANA is not always that reliable when it comes to SQ. As I have shared in other threads I have been looking at SIN-FUK, SIN-HND (on A330) and SIN-NRT (on 773 refurb) IIRC and ANA shows the C seats as available. However, when I go into KF it does the same than in your case and shows waitlist.

I tried to book those seats ANA shows via BD and LH (for sampling purposes) and both could see the seats but not confirm them. Looks like SQ is publishing some 'phantom' inventory or waitlist to *A FFPs. Not sure, but if KF says waitlist then your best shot is to use KF miles, do th ewaitlist and often it will clear in my experience. Fingers crossed.

[fone]

Yes, SQ has separate inventories for *A and KF members. Searching on ANA only gives what is available to other *A members while searching on Singaporeair.com gives only availability for KF members. I once booked a SIN - HKG - SIN trip, with 2 seats from *A (ie searched from ANA and there is only 2 seats available), and 1 from KF on the same flight (only 1 available). I booked on *A first and that did not take away the inventory on KF.

Maybe you can try asking them if you can book it as a *A award instead, forfeiting the 15% discount, if that works.

SQ does open up seats (clear waitlist) closer to departure date, if there are seats available.

[pogonation]

Thanks for all the info everyone. I think I may try to do a trade on the basis that they put my flights on waitlist and if they clear then we make the trade.

My main question now is: Is waitlist actively managed? i.e. If I put a flight on waitlist will SQ notice this and then make a decision on whether or not they give me the seats (perhaps in a few days?)... or does waitlist simply mean, if SQ releases the seats through their normal process (sometimes months down the line or the week before departure) then I will be automatically get those seats assuming I am first in line?

[demue]

Well it is managed but how actively will likely depend on your status too (one would hope). As SQ Blue I have a C Saver SIN-DPS waitlisted for my GF for 5-6 days now and nothing. As usual ANA is still showing one seat available on that flight which means nothing of course if you can't book it.

I figure to let it sit for a while longer and see what happens. I already got flights in Eco secured the next day and got myself in C onto the DPS flight a day earlier, but overall I'm not hloding my breath right now. Once we are 3 days out or so of travel date it could change again, but question is if you want/ can to wait that long.

[demue]

Well a quick update on that elusive C Saver seat SIN-DPS that I waitlisted for about 3 weeks ago. This morning at 8am SIN time my phone beeped and my GF already looked suspiciously at me wondering who could send me a SMS at that time (no idea where she gets those thoughts from ).

Low and behold it was from SQ telling me that her C Saver waitlist had cleared. So I told her that it looks like she will be going 'in style' to DPS to which I got a '... better be' and a faint smile. Guess I spoilt that one already ...

But i digress. The flight is in Mid-May and I waitlisted Mid-March to clear waitlist about 3 weeks later. I'm KF Blue so no special priority here. Flight was still showing Z4 / C4 / D4 / J4.

[kelvgoh]

Feeling some love for KF at the moment. Had a pair of flights waitlisted (inbound confirmed, but outbound waitlisted) - looked unlikely to clear but gave KF a call and told them the reason for the flights and agent said he'll try to do something about it. 5 minutes later, a call returned with good news that they released two additional saver Y seats on a very busy LHR-SIN flight.

Grateful.

[darzee]

Booked a 2 x one way saver J class for SIN -> HKG and HKG -> SIN. Was put on wait list for HKG -> SIN without confirmation for a more than week. Just when I decided to modify the wait list sector to Y class, realize that there are saver J available for the same flight, same day! Can’t help but make me feels that KF never bother confirm waitlist redemption so it may be better to check the available periodically or call them up rather than waiting for KF to confirm the seats.

[demue]

Booked a 2 x one way saver J class for SIN -> HKG and HKG -> SIN. Was put on wait list for HKG -> SIN without confirmation for a more than week. Just when I decided to modify the wait list sector to Y class, realize that there are saver J available for the same flight, same day! Can’t help but make me feels that KF never bother confirm waitlist redemption so it may be better to check the available periodically or call them up rather than waiting for KF to confirm the seats.

I have observed similar things in the past too. That is why I regularly (almost daily) checked the sector & class I was waitlisted on via a 'fresh' redemption booking attempt to see if it now shows as available. With KF you never know.