When does CO open award availability?
 

As a seasoned DL PM, I've taken on the challenge of assembling a SAN-DPS return for two in BF using my DL miles for my honeymoon next August. Knowing the horror stories of "Nonepass", I dutifully called every morning at 8am EST exactly 331 days out (a painful experience, given I live on PST) on the appropriate days, and put together (segment by segment, thanks to the pesky dateline) an ugly mix of BF & Y that got us there and back, but not on the right flights, right days, or all in BF. Then I started checking availability daily. A couple of flights open up at seeming random intervals, and then, at exactly 270 days out, BF seats started opening up again with regularity, so I managed to assemble one all-BF itinerary and one mostly-BF itinerary. Unfortunately, they're still not on exactly the right days.

Now, my question is, does CO have any other magic dates when I should be sure to be on the phone at exactly 8am, or do they just drop inventory randomly from here out? Sadly, DL does not allow me to waitlist for CO inventory, so there's nothing I can do but keep checking.

Also, if no availability came open at 270 days, I'm assuming that means some CO elite got the seats before they were made available for partner awards. Does CO continue to open seats on these flights, or is there a fixed number of standard BF awards per flight, and the rest easypass? (For better or worse, can't get Sleazypass seats with DL miles...)

Finally, if all else fails, can I standby for int'l BF with a Y award seat (assuming I paid the miles for BF, of course) on day of flight? (I realize that's probably a FAQ, but searching for "award" in this forum returns basically every thread!)

There are no "magic dates " with CO they might NEVER open ANY seat on that route..... I would look for alternatives or pay easy pass...

As I'm sure you've figured out by reading these boards, CO elites have a hard enough time securing standard reward seats on these routes. As a DL elite, you'll have an even harder time, especially because as Germanfflyer pointed out, you don't even know if they'll open a seat for SkyMiles redemption, and by wanting two seats it's all the more difficult.

If you're this eager to fly up front, why don't you cut your losses and just buy a ticket. Since this trip is for your honeymoon, can't you break tradition with the wedding registries and have people buy you CO gift certificates or plane tickets instead of or in addition to the kitchenware that will go into storage anyway? Or maybe you have a friend or family member who would be happy to "buy" you a BF EasyPass ticket rather than spend hundreds of dollars on you at Williams-Sonoma? That's what I'd do.

Yes, but...
 

Thanks for the responses; I know these routes are tough to get. But, I have heard (and now have anecdotal evidence) that flights open up at 331 initially, and then BF inventory opens again at 270 days, so, in my one case, at least, there are at least two "magic" dates.

And don't lose hope--I'm actually surprised how well I've done; I have one SAN-IAH-HNL-GUM-DPS-GUM-HNL-LAX-SAN entirely in BF/F, and the other all BF/F except for the GUM-DPS-GUM flights. So these routes aren't as bad as you might think if you're willing to set the alarm ;)

At any rate, nobody answered my last question---if the day arrives, and my fiancee is holding her F seat, and I'm still stuck in Y for GUM-DPS-GUM, can I standby for the front cabin at the gate? (I'd like to hope I might get some leeway by pointing out it's my honeymoon, but I'm sure it's everyone's honeymoon on that route.)

The answer to your question is no. No mileage upgrades are processed within 72 hours of the flight departure (for reasons discussed in many other posts). As per CO's BF standby upgrade policy: "Since BusinessFirst mileage upgrades can not be processed at the airport no standbys are permitted."

If you're stuck in Y, you're not missing out on that much considering it's not a BF-equipped flight.

Not sure about this one. Two points: 1) You are not waitlisting for an upgrade, you are ticketed in BF all the way through, except this segment, so it's technically not an upgrade. More importantly; 2) GUM-DPS-GUM is technically not a BF flight (just like domestic F, you can be EUA'd on this flight as a CO elite for example). IF you are ticketed in BF all the way through, and waitlisted for just these segments, you might very well end up in F. A few years back, these were the same segments we had trouble with. We booked in BF and waitlisted for these and they came through about 6 days before departure.

Robin