enzian

We are a bit unusual in that we are willing to pay the $500 or so each way ( per person) to fly in business class on BA.

We have 2 one- way bookings to Europe this year using our AS miles, YVR to Geneva in March, and SEA to London in July. The homebound flights are with BA Avios.

i book one way at a time' the day the seats are released to the airline. Avios bookings can be made the day the flights are released, 355 days ahead. The leftover award seats, if any, are then available to be booked with AS miles around 330 days in advance. Sometimes they will appear later as someone cancels an award booking, so if on the hunt just keep checking back. Often I will book just to London and then book onward travel later. We never mind spending a night or two in London.

It is too early to book flights with AS miles for next Christmas. Start looking in mid-January for outbound flights in mid-December. Then decide how long you want to stay and book your return later when those seats are released to AS mileage members.

we did fly home on Condor in Business Class class last year when we were short on miles. I booked that more than a year ahead ( Condor allowed that) and paid $1122 per person: little more than the supplemental fees to fly BA with mikes. It was the direct flight from FRA to SEA. No lie-flat seats, but for a daytime flight it was fine. Still, we would rather fly BA; we like the 747 and hopefully will like the 787-10 that will be replacing the big beefs on the Seattle route starting in July.

to the OP, I too have been looking for award seats on the new Portland flight as well ( for a friend). I have not seen any at all, and I wonder if they just have not been released yet, although the flights are on the schedule.

Edit: there are seats in Club World on the November PortlNd to LHR flights avIlable on BA for booking with Avios. Apparently they just aren't releasing the business class seats to partners yet; just the Economy seats.