I am planning award travel during the Christmas season, and carefully avoiding black-out dates. I am still finding it tough to get seating availability. There are plenty of seats, just not many assigned to award travel.

With my pick of DL, AA, UA and US, is anyone of these more likely to have award availability ? For the record, I have elite status with UA, US and DL.

This doesn't answer your question with specific regard to the holiday season, but just found out from Bryan at Webflyer that in general United offers the most reward seats.

I'm not sure of the rules for all of the programs, but most of them waive black-out dates if you are using miles for seats in First. They also have the "regular" awards which charge a premium for no black-outs and other restrictions, but these usually cost the same amount of miles as First. You decide.

Blackout dates for elite members on all program award travel for first, business and coach are waived on Delta operated flights when using either Delta original FF miles or Skymiles. Award seat availability unless using Skychoice might be a problem.

Far be it from me to ever question the ever so erudite and eloquent bryan- and I never would! Perhaps this is so, as long as you are sure to avoid the MANY scheduled blackout dates, which can be extremely numerous as I've found in trying to plan around school schedules.

If not for TWA Aviators, UA would be dead last in a recent study of seat availabilty based on numbers blackout dates (Travel Confidential, July '99, I think!), which I'd posted previously, but now can not find due to "search problems." Having suffered through trying to book free travel with both, I recall this only too well.

As I recall, America West followed by DL topped the list for having such minimal blackout dates, again remmembering because I was surprised in view of the negative FT talk, particular on DL availibility.

Anyway, hope this helps and lots of luck!

BTW- I've personally had trouble much more often trying to book free FC flights and extremely greater difficulty when groups of two and especially three are sought. It's FAR easier to buy a cheap ticket with an upgradeable fare, and use miles to upgrade. This is my preferred method, personally- and you also get FF milage for such trips.


[This message has been edited by doc (edited 10-17-1999).]

As a DL Gold, I booked 2 award seats with my wife last year at Christmas. The blackout was waived due to my status. Booked in coach, not FC.

USAirways waives blackout dates for its Preferred members too, I believe. Good luck.
Have never actually redeemed any miles for anything so I don't know

It sure used to be American which had almost no award seats available. Now I discovered that United allots more free seats to those redeeming HHonors certificates than for their own Mileage Plus members (unless, of course, you are a 1K). PremEx does not do it for you! Last year and this one I could not find a flight to anywhere on United at Christmas. I have heard that some airlines
publish a list of available award seats. Wouldn't that be a time saver? United, are you there???

from many discussions, and having listened to many ff, my conclusion and answer:

it is ALWAYS THE OTHER AIRLINE having better availability.

which other? THE other!

Rudi: Isn't the grass always greener on the other side?

Well, I think I learned the hard way. One call to US Dividend Miles and I was told that ONLY the Preferred MEMBER was entitled to waive blackout dates, and not his/her family. A second call I learned that family is included if traveling together with Preferred member.

On repeated attempts with UA and their partner, Mexicana, I could not find award travel.

DL was tough, but somewhat available. US had almost everything available for award travel.

JGill, I realize what I'm about to say doesn't help you, but I don't think you can wait til mid-October to try to book award travel over Christmas, particularly if you are looking for more than one seat. There were probably award seats available on all the airlines to wherever you want to go at Christmas, but they are long gone. Heck, I had trouble buying a discounted fare to CLT for Thanksgiving almost 3 months in advance! I'm actually surprised US has award seats available at all!

While availability is very dependent on airline, destination, time of year, and class of service, I have found that if you book 11 months in advance (when award seats open up on most airlines) almost everything is available. At 8-9 months in advance, things begin to tighten up, particularly to popular destinations. At 6 months, the going gets tough - you are likely to find some seats but not on the flights you want. You may find unpopular times or have to switch dates by a day or two. Once you are down to 4 months, take what you can get because it's all downhill.

You can find award seats late in the game (< 2 months to departure) as airlines do open up additional award seats, but you are really taking a chance. If no seats open up, you could end up paying a rather high fare.

Late in January this year, I booked Vegas award tickets for travel this month (that's almost 9 months in advance). In June I booked award travel to Alaska for next May (11 months to the day in advance). I had no problems getting the dates/times I wanted.

I realize booking award seats 8-11 months in advance is a crazy thought for many people, but I look at it this way: If I really have to book 5 months out anyway to even have a chance at getting what I want, will I know anymore about potential conflicts with my schedule at that point than I would know at 11 months out? I don't think so.

Good advise from MileKing. Also this advise from InsideFlyer:

"Plan early . up to 10 to 12 months in advance if possible . especially for travel around the holidays and be persistent. A flight may not have award seats available a year in advance, but many airlines update their inventories at 120, 90, 60 and 30 days before the flight. Keep checking back with your program because a flight that initially had no award seats available could wind up having them.

Be flexible. If you can't get a ticket for your desired day or time, keep your schedule open. You may be able to get a flight on a different day that still works with your schedule. Try to travel midweek and during the middle of the day. However, if you are looking for first-class seats you may have better luck securing them for weekend travel when fewer business-class travelers are trying to claim upgrades. Also, hotels awards are sometimes easier to get with a weekend check-in, thereby avoiding weekday conferences."

I don't know if any of you saw the chart in InsideEdition in May, but it details 1998 airline award redemption as per the 10-K reports. It is all relative to the number of members, however; American gave away 2.3m awards; United 2.1m, Delta 1.9m; Northwest 1.16m; Continental 1m; Southwest .93; US Airways .9m and TWA .76m.

I don't know if any of you saw the chart in InsideEdition in May, but it details 1998 airline award redemption as per the 10-K reports. It is all relative to the number of members, however; American gave away 2.3m awards; United 2.1m, Delta 1.9m; Northwest 1.16m; Continental 1m; Southwest .93; US Airways .9m and TWA .76m.