Originally Posted by maryhm
I don't fly a lot. I just accumulate miles on my credit card then take a nice international trip every year or two. But when I do cash in my miles, I like to do it for the lowest amount possible. I checked a few options on the Continental site yesterday. For example, I could find the lowest mile fare (25,000) from LAX to CDG. Searching for the return flight, I could find an option to get the 25,000, but when I clicked the button it would say "This flight is no longer available". This happens on both examples (one to CDG, one to FRA) that I tried. That's pretty aggravating. I guess it's not a good sign when I haven't even signed up yet and I'm already aggravated!
Did your stay include a Sat night? That's required for std awards, but rules aren't applied until you try to book. You could also try calling - they can put an itinerary on hold for 10 days, and have access to partner flights not visible on the web site.