What time are award seats released?
Aug 27, 2021, 12:55 am
#16
Join Date: Aug 2021
Posts: 94
What I don't understand with ANA's website is how you even grab a flight the day they are released. You have to select a return flight, so if you try to nab a flight the day it is released, you can't because there are no return flights to select. If you wait a day for a return flight to pop up (which you can then change later), everything is waitlisted. It's extremely frustrating.
Aug 27, 2021, 7:09 am
#17
Join Date: Jul 2021
Programs: United, EVA, Marriott, Hilton
Posts: 309
Does anyone know if they increase the amount of award seats available from US to TYO routes and when they do? For example, I am only seeing 1 biz award seat released for IAD to HND routes next summer. I thought they usually release 2 award seats?
Oct 10, 2021, 12:25 pm
#21
Join Date: Apr 2008
Programs: amex platinum, american advantage, united, ANA, JAP. SPG, marriott
Posts: 1,257
As I understand it you can only use Virigin miles 331 days out so that's 24 days after ANA releases award seats. Any experience with getting F seats 331 days out using Virgin? Thanks.
Oct 10, 2021, 4:34 pm
#22
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 101
Yes I had 2 separate flights with 2 passengers on F seats for September 2020 and September 2021. Unfortunately they both got cancelled as we could not travel to japan but with next year most likely opening up, there’s probably a 0% chance to fly 331 days out from today on F or J.
Oct 11, 2021, 10:30 pm
#23
Join Date: Jun 2019
Programs: Chase, Amex, SWA, UAL, DAL
Posts: 34
I looked out of curiosity and United says there's 2 seats in F on Sep 8 from SFO to Tokyo (I forget which airport, though).
It may well be gone by the time you read this, though!
A few weeks ago, I was trying to extend my reservation on ANA and I found that it seemed like seats weren't getting released until like 3 or 5 pm Tokyo time (= 11pm or 1am SF). But I had Sep 1-13 and was able to grow it by a day every night except for Sep 18 and 19 which were gone by the time they were even visible in the tool. I noticed that it seemed like you could look up award availability for a new reservation an hour or two before you can look it up for a flight change.
It may well be gone by the time you read this, though!
A few weeks ago, I was trying to extend my reservation on ANA and I found that it seemed like seats weren't getting released until like 3 or 5 pm Tokyo time (= 11pm or 1am SF). But I had Sep 1-13 and was able to grow it by a day every night except for Sep 18 and 19 which were gone by the time they were even visible in the tool. I noticed that it seemed like you could look up award availability for a new reservation an hour or two before you can look it up for a flight change.
May 28, 2022, 9:46 pm
#24
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 34
When I try to use the Japanese version of the site, it lets me go all the way to the end up until checkout, but after I put my credit card information in and try to pay, it won't let me (it just bounces me back to the payment page again). Is this because the Japanese site can't process/blocks American credit cards, or something with currency conversion not working?
Last edited by slowreactor; May 28, 2022 at 9:47 pm Reason: adding something
Jul 2, 2022, 6:30 pm
#25
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2021
Posts: 25
What I don't understand with ANA's website is how you even grab a flight the day they are released. You have to select a return flight, so if you try to nab a flight the day it is released, you can't because there are no return flights to select. If you wait a day for a return flight to pop up (which you can then change later), everything is waitlisted. It's extremely frustrating.
Jul 3, 2022, 8:29 pm
#26
Join Date: Aug 2021
Posts: 94
It's a ridiculously convoluted process.
Jul 6, 2022, 12:01 pm
#27
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: UA 1MM, Marriot (via SPG) Lifetime Gold
Posts: 632
You basically just have to wait until you can book a return flight (even if it's the next day). ANA allows you to change the reservation once without incurring a feee, so you reserve the departure flight, immediately reserve any return flight that is available, wait for your desired return flight to pop up (350 days out), and then change the return flight reservation to your desired date.
It's a ridiculously convoluted process.
It's a ridiculously convoluted process.
Jul 6, 2022, 5:54 pm
#28
Join Date: Aug 2021
Posts: 94
Sep 4, 2022, 6:31 am
#29
Join Date: Sep 2022
Posts: 6
Also, what if I am in the waitlist outbound but score a seat on the return… do I just, not go if the waitlist doesn’t clear? Thank you!
Sep 4, 2022, 8:06 am
#30
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 21,169
Can you change classes for the return flight? Like let’s say I book premium economy outbound, could I book business return (assuming I can score a seat)?
Also, what if I am in the waitlist outbound but score a seat on the return… do I just, not go if the waitlist doesn’t clear? Thank you!
Also, what if I am in the waitlist outbound but score a seat on the return… do I just, not go if the waitlist doesn’t clear? Thank you!