Even 331 days out doesn't work

[pacheco18]

It's going to be a tough year for free travel. . . .

Every year I get two free first class seats to Hawaii 331 days out with no problem.

Not this year.

Neither Delta (where I have Gold Medallion status and I ALWAYS get flights) nor Continental has released ANY seats on ANY flights -- and I tried from LA, Salt Lake and Houston.

[Jimster]

My understanding is that Delta and a few other airlines are not going to release their inventory at 331 but rather spread things out over the course of the year. Delta, in my experience, is also not among the most user friendly of all the airlines. It is very difficult to get a saver award out of them. I think the moral to the story is: "you'll have to try them back often to get your tickets." BTW there is a website that will monitor when these are released and notify you. I believe there is a small charge, but it would be worth it. You might check this out on flyer talk.

[oldman]

I used to be able to due likewise every year until 2007. In order to get reservations at the 331 day point I had to splurge for first class - double the points!

[camachinist]

Can you book Y and waitlist F? I've done this for my wife on UA by booking a C/F award that has at least one segment available in F and then she goes to the priority waitlist for C/F for the other segment(s). There is a gamble that the desired segment won't clear, but so far they always have (mainly CONUS transcons).

Another strategy is booking desired routing/O&D/COS on dates with availability and then do date changes (generally free) later as capacity/availability changes. Waitlisting can be possible in this scenario as well.

Also, there is usually a "standard" award, at the cost of more miles, which essentially will book if there's a revenue seat left in that class of service on the aircraft.

I never book awards 330/331 out and have always gotten where I want to go It just takes a bit of work.

Pat

[dlpearson]

Originally Posted by camachinist

Can you book Y and waitlist F? I've done this for my wife on UA by booking a C/F award that has at least one segment available in F and then she goes to the priority waitlist for C/F for the other segment(s). There is a gamble that the desired segment won't clear, but so far they always have (mainly CONUS transcons).

Another strategy is booking desired routing/O&D/COS on dates with availability and then do date changes (generally free) later as capacity/availability changes. Waitlisting can be possible in this scenario as well.

Also, there is usually a "standard" award, at the cost of more miles, which essentially will book if there's a revenue seat left in that class of service on the aircraft.

I never book awards 330/331 out and have always gotten where I want to go It just takes a bit of work.

Pat

I tried to get Delta Hawaii seats from SLC after Christmas at the 331 mark, too. There were none at the stroke of midnight, not even teh possibliity of waitlist. AND, Delta charges $75 per ticket to change dates on ff tickets (even if the routing is the same), so you can't play the "just get any dates and try to change them later" game.

[nightnurse613]

Pat-
I NEVER know what you are saying but I love the way you say it (and, I believe you, too)!

[camachinist]

I only fly revenue on DL so don't know much about their award system, but I did note that the 75.00 fee is for a "ticket reissue". If their verbage is the same as UA's, a "reissue" occurs when they have to literally reissue the physical ticket. On UA, date changes do not result in a reissue, nor do flight changes, as long as the O&D/routing remain the same.

Delta is notorious on Flyertalk for having a difficult award system, which is why my wife always uses her miles to get Skyteam awards on NW

BTW, Platinum Medallion members on DL are exempt from award-related fees, so they reward their elites similar to UA (at the 1K level).

If any of my shorthand is nonsensical, usually entering it, along with the airline it relates to, into Google with the verbage "site:flyertalk.com" after will help. I wish I had the time to type out long descriptive posts but unfortunately I don't.

FWIW, I'm still seeing a bunch of award seats on UA for our Hawaii trip in November; now if II can just get the exchange done....

Pat

[Jwerking]

Originally Posted by pacheco18

It's going to be a tough year for free travel. . . .

Every year I get two free first class seats to Hawaii 331 days out with no problem.

Not this year.

Neither Delta (where I have Gold Medallion status and I ALWAYS get flights) nor Continental has released ANY seats on ANY flights -- and I tried from LA, Salt Lake and Houston.

I too am very disappointed - as I was trying to get FF seats from Wash DC area to Puerto Vallarta for the week of New Years. I have used both AA (my favorite) and Delta in past years - with no problem at the 331 day window - but neither one of them has loaded saver seats and I was checking several times per day. I finally got 2 seats with United - leaving on different days and both returning a day later than our timeshare week. But I figure that even with the additional costs of hotel rooms for the extra nights - better use those miles whenever you can. Esp now that they expire in 18 mos if no activity. This is becoming way too much work.

[Aussiedog]

Last year I booked first class on Delta to Santiago using their regular award category. I don't remember asking for it, but several months later they called to say that I had been cleared for SkySaver! I have never had that happen before.

And they do charge $75 for what I call their "restocking" fee to reverse an award reservation. However, at the same time they are charging you this fee they are crediting you for the taxes they charged when you booked the flight so it FEELS like a wash.

Ann

[pacheco18]

Thankfully, my Hawaii seats cleared today.
I fully expect to have a similar problem when I book the return leg.