Originally Posted by
mirak
An honest program would tell you upfront - "hey, you're probably not going to be able to redeem for Friday or Sunday flights."
You mean, like on Frontier's list of
Redemption Tips?
Originally Posted by
mirak
What really gets me steamed is when the CS rep helpfully asks if I'd like to travel home on Saturday or Monday instead? And no, calling isn't going to help - they're just using the same basic interface as you.
The best strategy would have been to call about redemption seats _before_ transferring the miles. You can also check availability yourself by using a website such as
seatcounter.com to view availability in "S" class fares.
Originally Posted by
mirak
The CS rep I got did tell me that redemption seats are typically calculated only a few months in advance, and that seats may be added as you get closer to the date if the flight looks like it will have availability. She recommended that I try to book again in about a week. Of course, if I do have to purchase, I run the risk of fares escalating while I wait.
I have indeed found this to be true, though the best bet is to pounce on them the second any "S" seats become available. I spend the $10/month to subscribe to the very useful service
ExpertFlier in order to be able to set alerts, such as in this case. If you want to PM me the flights you are trying to get on, I can set an alert for you.