Sometimes Inventory Control can release a seat to you because the flight has never been evaluated (when the flight first enters inventory at 330 days out) or hasn't be re-evaluated in some time. But it's not a "gimme" and one should recognize that the whole goal of the Inventory Control Department is to NOT give out seats that they think might have any chance of being sold.

It would be way too labor intensive to have every person that couldn't get a Saver Award call up and ask for a personal evaluation of their flights! Can you imagine?

But having said that, I admit to having made the request myself on a few rare occasions. Most of the time though, I find out I just have to let the system do it's thing.