Phantom availability is when an award search engine shows award seats as available, but when you go to confirm them, they come up as unavailable. However, I’ve been noticing a new phenomenon with Star Alliance availability – “hidden” inventory.
ANA, a Star Alliance carrier based out of Tokyo, is regarded as a premier carrier, with an excellent First Class product. My experience, hopefully a one-off, found ANA to be a rather poor First Class product.
I found an excellent fare between Vancouver YVR and Hong Kong HKG, via Tokyo HND. There is significant availability through 2015, including long stays and immediate, 0-night turnarounds. You can use ITA Matrix, Google Flights, or Kayak.com to find availability.
