i) Ref # 27323-3
The PNR position therein is ...
From: Mumbai CST/CSTM To: Rajahmundry/RJY
Date of Journey: Wed Mar 31 Class: AC 2-tier
Passenger 1: Waitlist# 2 (Booking Status: W/L 5,...
more...

PQWL)
Passenger 2: Waitlist# 3 (Booking Status: W/L 6, PQWL)
Chart NOT Prepared
ii) You can not accurately predict confirmation and conclude that PQWL is weaker over fresh RAC (extended booking). This is purely blind hitting. The passenger holding AC-2tier may not at all be willing to travel under RAC- might already have taken a decision to cancel the ticket in case it remains at RAC level. By advising to book a fresh ticket from CSTM to Srikakulam - extended booking by spending Rs. 200/- extra per person ... (with de-boarding at Rajahmundry) may not be well received as he will still be holding RAC ticket and running a risk for fully confirmed ticket. If confirmed ticket is available, then good option to switch over. But that is what I tried to explain that you need to check few combinations (more details in # 27134). That's it. Nothing difficult provided the passenger spares some more time to try out few combinations. For this, one does not need years or months of booking experiecne.
The current proposition will give rise to extra hassles to the passenger in booking the fresh ticket, cancelling the old ticket, again cancelling the new ticket at the last moment of journey time and particularly when busy planning out alternaives. How can it be surely said that under the current circumstances, fresh RAC booking runs a bright chance compare to PQ WL ticket and that too nobody is aware of how is WL actually treated by Rlys at the last moment - lot of merging of cross quotas taking place ?
What is proposed (advocated that one can gain this only by experience) is just one more combination / option of booking the ticket at a time when nobody knows that ticket being booked will fall under which WL ? The same combination method referred in 27134).
Note that any one single incident of ticket confirmation by this method can not be set as a standard and a method called smart booking. If confirmed, you may say smart booking, but equally if not cofirmed then what ?
What is more needed is calm and patience and the best option is to go for multiple booking of tickets right at the time of inital bookings called
"standby measure" or "standby booking".
The booking of ticket intially
i) from CSTM to Rajahmundry
ii) CSTM to Srikakulam or any further station (extra booking)
That's all.
What passengers need to know more about ... is on multiple bookings with nominal cancellation charges but abnormal benefits and comforts, when no confirmed tickets are available.
Your current proposition will invite extra troubles, confusions and hassles apart from more money. I personally fear any takers !!! The point here is to think from passengers' point of veiw and the need for inculcating the concept of multiple booking strategy i.e. the method called ... "Standby Measure" or " Standby Booking".
These are my views and nothing more than that. Best wishes to you for the ongoing season.