Why do award search results show availability, but only one seat is actually bookable?

When searching for multiple award seats — especially in premium cabins like business or first class —you might notice that the search results show availability, but only one seat is actually bookable when you try to reserve more than one. This can be frustrating and confusing, but there's a reason for it.

Some Airlines Don’t Share Seat Quantity Information

Certain airlines don’t provide us with information on the exact number of award seats available on a flight. Instead, they simply indicate that a cabin has award availability without specifying how many seats are open.

Because of this, when you search for multiple seats, Seats.aero might show results based on general availability, not on whether the number of seats you need are actually offered.

Common examples of programs that may not show seat quantity include:

• Air Canada, American Airlines, Emirates, Qantas, Qatar Airways, and Turkish Airlines

This means a search may show availability for multiple seats, but there could only be one seat actually available to book.