Yesterday I tried to book award travel to MAD 330 days out. I am a CP trying to burn up miles. They couldn't get me Envoy on the PHL-MAD leg??? This is the final straw for me with US. You build up miles and it becomes impossible to use them when and how you want to. In the end, I am probably better off for this trip as I went with LH in FC, although it is a longer trip.

That makes no sense. Were you using standard award miles or Premium. If you were using Premium then yes they can upgrade you. But standard are limited.

Looks like most of OCT 06 is available for 80K miles Envoy award ticket. But nothing available from 23 OCT and beyond at this point. Is there something going on in Spain that period? I suggest OP to try again later if that's the week you want to travel.

Did you use Dividend Miles to book the LH trip?

Awards don't necessarily become available exactly 330 days out. Go online and look at award availablity on the calander until you hit a 'green' day. You will see that it advances in jumps not exactly day by day. You might find this the case with MAD. It occured when I was looking at CDG awards earlier for September 06.

Did you use Dividend Miles to book the LH trip?

I would bet that's exactly what the OP did.
I have had lots of trouble using miles to go international on US and have many times redeemed them via *A on UAL and LH. It often adds one extra leg each way, but that's not usually that big a deal.

I would bet that's exactly what the OP did.
I have had lots of trouble using miles to go international on US and have many times redeemed them via *A on UAL and LH. It often adds one extra leg each way, but that's not usually that big a deal.

Then Dividend Miles had some value. :p

Go call any other US airline's mileage program like AA, NW or CO and ask for seats (on that carrier) to Madrid, or another European destination and report back. ALL airlines are very stingy with intl. award biz/first seats.

Sorry, been at work for a couple of days. I did use DM on LH, but my arrival in MAD is around 1430 instead of 0930 on US. Sort of a killer for my time clock. I am not complaining about a "free" trip in FC on LH, rather it is a real puzzle how a *A partner can open up FC award seats 330 days out, but not US. I have always had difficulties finding the 80,000 Envoy seats when the window opens, but the CP desk has done their magic every time by calling some other department. My inference is that the seats are not released for awards right after the window opens up. This time the CP desk couldn't get it done. Like I said, maybe this is better. No connection in PHL and real FC instead of Envoy.
Larry