Go from less than 2% odds to 100% odds for mileage award tickets by leveraging FCF’s data and mindset
Ever bet on a fifty-to-one longshot? Chances are the poor old nag barely made it to the finish line. So what if I told you you could flip that story to guarantee that you’re betting on a winner?
It’s all about your travel mindset. And in this special report, you’ll learn why you might need to flip it. Especially now, when fares are high and mileage award upgrades are rarer than rocking horse do-do.
If you pick your dates first and you book your hotel, tour, and/or cruise without knowing where the mileage award space is, I can almost guarantee you will be an unhappy camper. At FCF we call this booking backwards. Without the comfortable seat, the travel part is painful. And that doesn’t have to be the case. We say, find the flight first, then plan your dates around it. Most people are way more flexible than they think they are with time, especially when it means the difference between paying in miles or dollars. That said…
Airlines ARE Getting Stingier by the Month
Our team has been busy surveying award availability to Europe. We looked at 27 American Airlines Business Class routes and five First Class routes. And while it’s not necessarily great news, there are opportunities to score, if you don’t book backwards.
The chart below sums up our findings. It shows current award seat availability versus surveys we did in June, July and August on American Airlines to Europe.
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Given the number of dates in the year available for booking (27) Business Class routes, and severe lack of availability, your odds of finding seats are a measly 2% (i.e. 1 in 50).
However, if you use FCF’s AA mileage Sweet Redeems surveys here and here, you can pinpoint where the seats are and book accordingly. Remember, those are just the long-haul transatlantic routes. You can often get free connecting flights to the US hub and from the EU hub. Details on that are here: The Art of Skipping Stones.
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First Class Award Seat Availability
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OTHER THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND DURING LEAN TIMES
- Be ready for nibbles on the line with FCF’s fare alerts. When pickings are slim, it’s more important than ever to be ready to pounce when the opportunity strikes.
- Fish in the right spots when fares are high. More on FCF fare fishing tips here and here.
- Know when to pay with cash or miles. Find more on that here.
- Know how to hold fares (because snap-frozen fish taste just as good when cooked).
- Purchase a refundable fare. More on that here.
- Purchase a ticket you can cancel for free and use later. Many airlines are currently offering free cancellation, including for award flights. That means it won’t cost you anything to cancel or change your ticket. Read more about it here.
- Check for vacation packages, they can be a surprisingly great value when fares are high.
- Knock off hundreds of dollars (and sometimes even thousands) on lots of premium fares on 26 airlines, thanks to Amex’s International Airline Program (IAP).
- Break free from Mining for Miles Availability: 10 Common Mistakes Most Travelers Make
- Learn about the Art of Skipping Stone