Originally Posted by Vulcan
CO, US, AA etc have tp wait until 330 days out.
This isn't correct: CO flyers definitely get a few extra days over US and AA. My most recent trip was booked between 330 and 340 days out for a ROC-ATL-LAX-SYD, SYD-ASP, ASP-MEL-LAX-ATL-ROC itinerary. You can hold the outbound for something like two weeks if you find it available, then book the return when it becomes available. This is for flights in late June 2007 and was booked more than two weeks ago. (We could get 2 F seats MEL-LAX but not LAX/SFO-Australia, so we went for J instead.)
Tip: it's a lot easier to find DL inventory within the US than NW or CO if you're booking more than 330 days out. You can search DL award inventory on
http://www.nwa.com/asia. DL still seem to have the good old-fashioned 'release at least one award seat in F at the beginning of the booking window' system, which CO definitely does not.