Not sure what you mean by "wide open". Availability in different fare classes depends on how many seats the airline's yield managers think they can sell at those different fare points. The managers know there's no chance of prime-period flights leaving "empty" .

Perhaps they've already sold any cheaper seats they'd made available on your preferred dates.

Booking profiles over the very wide summer period are very different to those over the christmas holidays. In the summer there's a degree of flexibility in the timings of passengers' travel: at christmas the flexibility is much more limited by statutory holidays.


01 January 2017 is going to be particularly difficult. It's a Sunday and the best option for many to get back to work on time after the holiday break.