carlafromcorvallis

I am trying to buy a ticket to China, using Asiana Airlines (EUG-SFO-INC-HGH). I got a good fare quoted to me, but when I was ready to give my credit card number, the agent told me that a portion of my itinerary on the return, from INC-SFO, "has not been conformed yet". Apparently this is different from "not been confirmed". She said that it is too far in the future and that I am waitlisted. She said I could buy the ticket and secure the fare, but would have to "keep calling the reservation office to see if the flight is conformed".

What does this mean? I'm not familiar with this term at all. I held off buying the ticket (she said the fare was good until this Friday).

Thanks for any light to be shed on this!

Patty

More info please. Is this a travel agent or an Asiana reservation agent that told you this. How far in the future is your flight?

BeachBoi

carla...are you going to ICN (Seoul) or INC (Yinchuan)? I am guessing Seoul as Asiana does not serve Yinchuan.But I have never heard of any buying a ticket they are not "confirmed" on particularly that segment.I could only guess that Asiana has some sort of outer window beyond which they do not confirm a reservation, only "request" it.BTW, I think the agent was indeed in their mind saying "confirmed".A non native English speaker would think they are indeed pronouncing the word correctly when in fact you were hearing "conformed".I have been waitlisted for different days that I would prefer travelling, thence having to pay a "change fee".But I dont think this is what is happening in your case.

carlafromcorvallis

Hi Patty, I was talking to Asiana reservations directly, at their ticketing office in San Francisco. The agent spoke english quite well, although it did seem a second language. She seemed clear in her intentional use of the word, and even said it was different from being confirmed for a flight. (But obviously I am still not sure!)

My outbound travel is mid-December; the return (the part that cannot be "conformed&quot is early January. When I pressed for more details on this, the agent said that it would probably be conformed by late November.

And yes, BeachBoi, I am going through Seoul. I flipped the letters.

Patty

Sorry, I am at a loss as to what she could have meant by 'conformed'

Gardyloo

She meant confirmed. Probably their 1Q 2006 schedules aren't finalized yet.

Gardyloo

Or they're uncertain as to equipment allocations, thus specific seats (or load factors) can't be determined.

carlafromcorvallis

Update: The Asiana Airlines agent called me back the following day to tell me that the flight was now conformed, and she could issue the ticket. I think that Gardyloo was right about the equipment allocations/load factors. .

BTW - I got a very good fare by calling Asiana direct; $1116 including all taxes. The best I could find using a variety of sources and routes on the internet was $1360, and initially that is also the fare that Asiana quoted me. I was offered the $1116 fare after the agent asked me if I wanted "the lowest fare". I thought asking for economy or coach was the lowest, but apparently "the lowest fare" is a the same class of service, but a more restrictive ticket.

Fabio

she meant not confirmed but said not conformed. You were just waitlisted. Now you are confirmed !