Originally Posted by Non-NonRev
One "factoid" to keep in mind - most airlines make seats available (if the yield management systems allow any seats to be allocated, that is) 330 days before the date of the flight. More seats *may* or *may not* become available closer to the departure date.
Saavy travellers like FTers have long been aware of this, but in the last few months I've seen a lot of mainstream mention of this fact, in newspaper travel sections, travel magazines, and other online sites. As the word spreads, more people are in competition for the limited supply of seats, so the watchword is "book early"!
Book early or book late. Or use alternate airports if you can. The "late" part comes in play because many people don't cancel until 2-3 weeks out (and in some programs, plats don't pay a fee to cancel and redeposit).
Oh, but wait! Most airlines are charging a fee now if you redeem an award 2 weeks or less before the flight. Hmmm...wonder how many award seats from cancellations will be returned to inventory at the 2-week mark?
Transparency has never been a strong suit in any of this.