Beckles
May 23, 03, 12:38 pm
A few weeks ago, I wanted to go to Orlando (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum95/HTML/003221.html) at the last minute to hang out with some fellow FT'ers ... but there was no award availability on US at all ... I checked at least once a day ... nothing ... until the day I wanted to leave, I check and voila, availability using a standard award ... I grab it up online (the first flight was more than six hours away, you can't book online within six hours of the flight) and am on my way.
This weekend I'm again going to Orlando to hang out with Flyertalkers (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum95/HTML/003235.html). I had confirmed this trip well in advance, but being a holiday weekend there was no award availability of course ... so I booked a Premium Coach ticket and was done with it. However, based on my last experience I've been keeping an eye on availability ... and sure enough, today at 1:00 PM, 5 hours before my flight, availability has opened up on that flight I want and there's plenty of availibility that opened up to return on Monday earlier this week ...
However, I'm inside the 6 hour window to book online ... what do I do? I don't want to pay $75 ...
I book a ticket for June to Orlando from Charlotte ... dates and flights are unimportant ... I anxiously await the confirmation that an Eticket has been issued for my flights "next month" ... when it comes I call the CP desk and ask them to rebook that ticket to the flights I want for this weekend, and voila I've got my ticket for tonight's flight without paying the expedite fee (thanks to a certain someone I don't want to name publicly for that tip!).
Anyway, just wanted to share this with everyone as I'm somewhat surprised I was able to get these Standard Awards at the last minute to a relatively popular destination ... the moral of the story is that if your flexible, sometimes waiting until the last minute may be your best bet for award travel!
This weekend I'm again going to Orlando to hang out with Flyertalkers (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum95/HTML/003235.html). I had confirmed this trip well in advance, but being a holiday weekend there was no award availability of course ... so I booked a Premium Coach ticket and was done with it. However, based on my last experience I've been keeping an eye on availability ... and sure enough, today at 1:00 PM, 5 hours before my flight, availability has opened up on that flight I want and there's plenty of availibility that opened up to return on Monday earlier this week ...
However, I'm inside the 6 hour window to book online ... what do I do? I don't want to pay $75 ...
I book a ticket for June to Orlando from Charlotte ... dates and flights are unimportant ... I anxiously await the confirmation that an Eticket has been issued for my flights "next month" ... when it comes I call the CP desk and ask them to rebook that ticket to the flights I want for this weekend, and voila I've got my ticket for tonight's flight without paying the expedite fee (thanks to a certain someone I don't want to name publicly for that tip!).
Anyway, just wanted to share this with everyone as I'm somewhat surprised I was able to get these Standard Awards at the last minute to a relatively popular destination ... the moral of the story is that if your flexible, sometimes waiting until the last minute may be your best bet for award travel!