Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: California
Programs: WN Companion Pass, A-list preferred, Hyatt Globalist; United Club Lietime (sic) Member
Posts: 21,646
On my travel date (Sunday) I have yet to see any United saver award availability in Business class. Now it's moot. A saver award seat appeared in Lufthansa F and I grabbed it. Row 1 for my first flight on the A380.
From my observations of available seat counts for cash and awards, I believe Lufthansa is using approximately the following algorithm on its West Coast to FRA routes:
- Business class award seats are released if the unsold count is >2 one day before departure, >4 two days before departure, and >6 three days before departure.
- First class award seats are released if the unsold count is >2 one day before departure, and possibly if the unsold count is >3 two or three days before departure (seen early in August but I didn't check unsold seat count)
A minor note: I paid the fee to change to LH Business class two days before departure, then the F seat opened 24 hours before departure. United was kind enough to waive the second change fee. I would have paid it without complaint, but the waiver was the icing on this 110k cake.