Does JL reward availability get better?
 

I am trying to book TYO - PVG for the 3rd week of February. All the days around this has reward availability, except the day I want. Playing around with this it seems they do open more space closer to to time time - does anyone agree with this?

I am using my BA points and booking on BA website.

Thank you.

they do open more space closer to to time time.
However, preference for availability is given to JMB elites, and then JMB members on wait lists, and then one world members. So, when booking with BA, you will get whatever is left after JMB members.

Furthermore, February has Chinese new year, and that week might see a lot of Japanese expats travelling back from Japan after the CNY break. Not a great time to expect award seats to open up and trickle down to non JMB members.
You can wait, but it is a bleak season to expect seats availability.
*Official CNY is 5th Feb + 1 week. Unofficially, most people in China add a week of paid leave and take 2 weeks off. the tail end is that 3rd week of Feb you are looking at.

Considering how partners get the "leftovers", I must say that JL is quite generous. They're quite proactive at releasing space to partners as the departure date draws closer. As long as the flight isn't booked out there's a usually chance of snagging a seat, unlike CX where anything less than a J9 C9 D9 I9 is bad news.

Looks like the space is filling up fast: J9 C9 D9 I0 and J9 C0 D0 I0 etc etc

Might kill off the Shanghai idea and go somewhere else. There is no way I am navigating PVG over CNY as a Y pax.