Online vs. Phone availability discrepancy?

[magicbob]

So, I decided to change my CRT lunch reservation to dinner. The website listed at least four different times available around the time I wanted. However, you have to pre-pay online reservations for CRT. I'd just gotten my credit card refunded from pre-paying prior to adding DDP, so I decided to call and make the reservation.

So, I call and the CM tells me there is only one time available. I told him I'm looking at four different times available online (I refreshed my search to make sure they hadn't been booked in the last minute or so). He responded that he only had the one time showing as available. The time he had was close enough to when I really wanted, so I took it. But I found it odd that the reservation line would not have visibiliity of times that are showing as available online.

Anyone else experience this? It was only a minor annoyance because the time he had worked for me. But what if online was showing lots of availability and he was showing none? It seems strange that there would be any discrepancy between the online system and the actual reservation center.

 

[Shake]

Actually that makes sense. If you are looking at times online and the times offered to you are the last times available they would not be seen by anyone else till you chose one of them. At that point the times you did not choose would be available for someone to book.

 

[magicbob]

So, you're saying that when someone just does a search, the search results are being "held" for them? I can understand that this would be the case once someone clicks on "make reservation" but hasn't entered their information, etc. But it seems odd that several seatings you might or might not pick would be removed from anyone else's consideration. I would think the website would show you what's available, but if someone else booked the time you select before you, it would say something like "no longer available."

If you're correct about how the system operates, then I should search again and see if my preferred time is still available. Then close the search (making it visible to CM) and call immediately to change my reservation time before someone else snatches it up.