Slightly different question here but hopefully it kind of relates to this thread!

I need to fly LIM-EZE on 26 or 27 July. There's plenty of avios availability in the next month or so, but not much after that! Any chance that these are going to open up?

The only alternative I found using avios is LIM-GRU-EZE on the 27th. Any ideas on better routings (no availability through SCL), or the cheapest way to buy a one way? Coming out at almost EUR 600 one way at the moment!

Is it worth booking the GRU flights and just keep checking and hoping for the best?

Are the flights you're looking at have plenty of revenue availability? Or are they almost sold out in all fare classes? If there remains plenty to sell, odds of award seats opening is much higher. Also note that one ways within South America tend to be quite expensive, sometimes more than a RT.

International one-way will be more expensive that round trip, is a general rule most of the time. Sometimes LAN will open more seats if the flight is not full, but is a 50/50 chance.

I just flew this LIM-EZE route using Avios and I found that there was more availability when I called in to BA. To avoid the phone booking fee, just start off by telling them you were trying to book a flight online using your Avios, but the site kept crashing out during the search so could they help you with availability. They waived the phone booking fee for me this way and showed more flight availability than I was seeing online when I searched. I flew the route in J, but prepare to be underwhelmed by the service. Nice and clean aircraft though.

When I run a search to book an Avios award from LIM-LAX it is showing "First" on several dates... but I thought that LAN only had business? Any ideas?

BA just names it as a first ticket even though it's technically a J cabin. The seats are good and relatively comfortable with a ton of space. I also believe LAN runs a 787 on that route now, along with the older 767-300. If you can, book it on the 787. Same seat, but a newer aircraft with a slightly bigger J cabin (30 J seats on the 787 vs 28 on the 767-300).

If you book this as a AA award is it considered a biz award?

Yes. Unless there's a F cabin (ie, JAL, CX, etc), it will be at the biz award rate. Keep in mind BA will allow you to pay different combinations of Avios and money for award tickets, so your better value may be in using Avios and money over an international biz award on AA. LAX-LIM I'm sure is a popular route, so you're likely stuck with the anytime one way J/F fare ticket which is 65k or 120k points as I recall. Not sure how much the Avios ticket would be given the recent deval (which would also depend on if you were flying off peak dates or not).

You can't actually book this.

When I called BA, they said it's showing in error.

Right, but the question is... Does that correspond with the availability for J? If not, is J showing the correct availability (on BA's website)?

On BA's website I'm not seeing any availability for LIM-LAX in the month of July. I am seeing several dates with F class (assuming it should be J). When I call American Airlines they do not see any of this inventory.

Looks like tonight the BA search engine crashes when searing for LAN awards.

Seems like it's working again (although still showing lots of "first class" availability)

Guessing there is no other way to search LAN availability?

As far as I can tell, it's BA & Qantas... but Qantas don't show every destination that LAN serves.

Additionally, I forget which ones, but Qantas only shows certain LAN affiliates online. (As an example, they might show LAN Peru flights but not LAN Chile...)