One of my best tips to redeeming miles & points for premium travel is to book last minute. Airlines often release first and business class award space as the departure date approaches. A reader recently asked me if I could recap which airlines often release last minute award space, so that’s what I wanted to…
Continue reading: Which Airlines Release Last Minute Award Space?
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
You left out Alaska.
I got LAS-LAX-TPE-BKK on Alaska connecting to Starlux for 85k one way 2 days before departure.
I changed a prior itinerary that was just SFO-TPE-BKK, saving me the positioning flight and the risks that came with it.
"... less saver award space than in the post."
Past, I presume. Could be 'post' too, actually 😀
Virgin also does (I've successfully found/taken advantage of it a couple of times), and when they do it appears to be new, additional space.
Is there any insight into whether close in releases are simply a result of others cancelling, or actually additional reward seats?
Also, I've seen that some close-in reward releases are also available to partners. e.g., redeem Avios to fly the last minute space that AA releases
I was hoping to see JAL on the list. Do they not release last minute space any more? It seems like they used to.
Yup just found this the other day Flagship F from JFK-LAX. AA quoting 145K, BA quoting 80,000 or something like that forgot now. Weird that
Air New Zealand releases a decent amount of availability a few weeks from departure. Used to not be the case, but it really improved around 2 years ago.
LAS? Really? I live here too, and I had totally given up on being able to get award flights from here. I have always had to get a "connector".
So if I am trying to make plans in advance, does it just mean I am limited in my options when it comes to finding award space to redeem?
I had 155k united tickets and they opened some for 88k the morning of the flight through LAX instead of DEN,
so I switched.
As I commented on separate post on StarLux AS, I’ll keep shepherding my reservations for mileage reductions
Thanks, another good post.
My situation is that I’m a Planner (retired federal but planner at all levels of government) so I’ve gotten great trips booking when schedules open. Plus great anticipation vibes.
However I also have a wild streak that says go last minute. I still have spousal time limits on being on travel but often with spend time putting together itineraries last minute
Maybe if I get back on the no new CC applications wagon for several months - currently very low on points, and enjoy the anticipation then actual flights for the 5 Long Haul trips already ticketed through next July. I can ramp back up and do close it trips 🙂
This is just a list of airlines that commonly release last minute award space. Some still release it in advance, but if you can be flexible, this is a list of airlines to consider.
In recent years, I have a strategy of book what you can (if it is something you can tolerate), but keep an eye out for something better. Obviously keep in mind cancellation fees and dates, etc. I have to pick my vacation time a year in advance. For a given vacation week, the flights or location my change a few times before I actually go.