How useful are ExpertFlyer's/Expedia seat plan previews?
Okay, I might be an early bird, but I checked my long-haul flight Moscow to Vladivostok on Aug 1st 2013 at ExpertFlyer and the seat chart only shows 7 randomly chosen economy seats occupied.
Kind of suspicious on an Airbus 330-300 with 250+ economy seats.
As always, I didn't get to chose a seat upon buying the ticket. I expect Aeroflot offers this choice at check-in 24h pre-flight.
So what do I take from this?
- Only 7 people bought an economy ticket yet?
- 7 people bought an economy ticket directly from Aeroflot?
- ExpertFlyer.com has no clue?
Best Answer
Aeroflot only allows advance seat selection under certain contains, such as when booking a higher fare ticket, and/or higher level members of their frequently flyer program, and only then when they specifically request a seat at time of booking.
Other people need to wait until check-in to be able to select a seat. Thus having only 7 seats occupied is most likely correct.
As a more general answer, Expertflyer's seat maps are generally very accurate, as they come from the same GDS (global distribution systems) that the airlines use for ticketing, seat management, etc.
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Is paying for seat selection worth it?
Don't pay for advance seat selection They want to show the lowest fares possible on search results, then upsell you during checkout. This drip-pricing tactic is a pain for passengers. Charging for seat selection is one way airlines try to make a buck at the last minute. Know your options and avoid their trickery.How do I preview my seat on Expedia?
Go to http://www.expedia.com/ and enter travel dates and times and click on search for flights. Usually, a long list of flights will appear. Click on the Preview Seat Availability link that appears just under your desired flight. A seat map will be shown with all available seats.What does pre booked seats mean?
However, it will always still depend on availability. Pre-booking your seat means that regardless of the airline that you're travelling on, you're guaranteed to get the seat that you want. This is, of course, unless the airline has to rearrange the seat allocation due to safety and operational reasons.Is seat Alert accurate?
But the seat map is not an accurate measure of how full the flight will be. Just because a seat map shows lots of empty seats, doesn't mean there are necessarily any unsold seats on the plane. Conversely, a seat map showing very few vacant seats does not necessarily indicate a fully-booked flight.My Guide to Expert Flyer - How To Answer 6 Important Questions
More answers regarding how useful are ExpertFlyer's/Expedia seat plan previews?
Answer 2
The ExpertFlyer.com FAQ clearly covers this:
Q: Does the amount of Available or Occupied seats on the Seat Map correspond to the amount of available or sold tickets?
A: No, the Seat Map just shows which seats have been assigned to ticketed passengers or not. There may be tickets sold to passengers who have not yet been assigned a seat. In addition, some airlines don't allow seat selection until 24 hours before departure which will result in many more Available seats then are available tickets.
Answer 3
I have preferred seats when I travel - especially long haul. The main benefit to me of being able to view the ExpertFlyer seat map prior to travel is to see if my preferred seat is available.
If it is, then I can book the flight and select it. If it's not, then I might choose another flight (if my plans are flexible).
As mentioned a lot of seats aren't assigned until check-in, although the airline systems will often perform what's known as "theoretical seating", eg: allocate a forward aisle seat to someone with status, or seat a group together.
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