Happy Friday Reader!
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I can't believe it's already mid-May. We're in the thick of shoulder season for many popular travel destinations, which means now is the time to start thinking about what you're going to book for next year, whether that's next year's shoulder season or peak summer. Award availability opens up as the calendar does, and you want to be ready.
What I mean by the calendar opening up: when you go to search for a flight on an airline's website and scroll all the way to the last month, the last day it will let you search is the day the calendar opens up. That window usually ranges from 330 to 360 days out from today.
A handful of airlines consistently release a set number of seats as soon as the calendar opens, and you can find that specific number in your transfer partner guide.
Most programs have shifted to revenue-based release patterns, where algorithms dictate when seats get released, making availability much less predictable. These are some of the few airlines that still release award space the old way:
- British Airways
- Aer Lingus
- Finnair
- Japan Airlines
- ANA
- Singapore Airlines
Most of these carriers release around two business class seats at calendar open (except Aer Lingus). For ANA and Japan Airlines specifically, that availability is extremely competitive and you need to book the second it drops.
If you miss the business class window, you can typically still find premium economy or economy at their better prices at this time.
These programs don't always have the best pricing to get where you're going, but sometimes it's more about locking in a decent rate rather than playing the waiting and guessing game.
If youโd rather not lock yourself into these specific programs, setting up award alerts is the next move. For programs that are more sporadic about when they release availability at the best prices, like Alaska and American Airlines, an alert lets you know the moment space pops up so you can book right away.
โAwardTool is my preferred option for both searching and alerts. It comes with 100 alerts, which is plenty for most people.
โSeats.aero is my backup, and it has some specific functions that are unique and useful, including unlimited alerts.
If you want a free starting point, PointYeah gives you four free alerts with a free account.โ
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Here's an older video of mine that goes over the basics of setting up an award alert. The tools look a little different now but the concept is the same.
P.S. I'm putting together a couple of case studies for my course, so I'm looking for one or two people with an upcoming trip to Asia, Africa, or Australia. If that's you, fill out this form and I'll be in touch. If selected, I'll do a full award search based on your points, travel dates, and preferences and send you the results at no charge.
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