Due to Covid-19, most of our travel plans have been pushed out later this year and into 2021. However, that doesn’t mean you should wait to book airline tickets. In fact, FCF recommends booking your future travel now, and using miles to do it.
You might be wondering why this is the case and how to take advantage of it. And we’re glad you asked – those are just the right questions.
So let’s have a good old FCF Q&A session.
Question 1:
Why should I book now for travel further out?
There are three reasons to do so.
#1: You need to satisfy your travel bug.
Times like these undoubtedly make you realize how good we had it before. And while travel in the very near future may not be feasible, it might not be long before you’re ready to set your sights on your next adventure.
#2: Once-in-a-lifetime Return on Investment (ROI) from miles/points.
Now is a unique time in the world of travel opportunities. If you book now, you can lock in some unprecedented mileage award space on many airlines all the way into 2021.
#3: There is ZERO risk to booking now.
The great thing about booking with miles now is that you’re well protected by airlines if you decide to cancel. We advise you to confirm the award space as soon as you have an idea of your travel dates. Don’t wait. In fact, why not make two bookings, or 10? If you have any preferred dates or destination, book them now.
You can always cancel the ticket(s) if better ones appear later, but you can’t make award availability appear out of nowhere. In general, you can redeposit your mileage ticket for as little as $30 to $150 (worst case) for a deal booked now. That will most likely not be available at a later date. Some airlines (Delta for example) are waiving the mile redeposit fee for tickets purchased up to May 31, 2020. See FCF’s Risk of Booking Tickets Now with Miles widget here for details on many airlines.
Question 2:
How far out do airlines allow you to book?
Each airline has its own policy regarding how far in advance you can book flights. It ranges from 328 to 365 days in advance (see our chart below). That knowledge can help you score award availability before it’s gone.
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Question #3 How do I snag those seats before everyone else does?
Knowing the earliest time you can book award flights with a specific airline is the best way to increase your chances of getting those seats, as you can check for award space as soon as it becomes available to book.
While there’s no guarantee that an airline will release award seats when the booking window opens, many airlines release at least some seats on some routes. More on this in a minute. The secret is striking while the iron is hot.
Insider tip: There are free countdown apps for smartphones such as “Event Countdown” where you can set a reminder in days relative to the booking-ahead date. Or you could work it out on your laptop using a site like this.
Question #4 What about booking mileage partner space?
You won’t be able to book flights using miles for partner flights on American, Delta, or United until both the airline you are booking with (using American, Delta, or United miles) and the airline you are flying on have opened bookings for your travel date. That’s important because there’s sometimes a difference between the two.
American Airlines example: Both Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines open bookings for award travel 360 days out, but American only opens bookings 331 days out. So if the flight and travel date is on June 1, 2021, Cathay and JAL mileage members can book as early as June 6, 2020, while AA members have to wait until July 5, 29 days later, to get their chance at the seats.
Delta example: Air France opens bookings for award travel 361 days out, but Delta opens bookings for award travel 331 days out. It means that Air France mileage members get first dibs at the seats when they open up 361 days out, while Delta members have to wait an extra 30 days to get their turn to book partner space.
United example: Both All Nippon and Singapore open bookings for award travel 355 days out, but United only opens bookings 337 days out. So, All Nippon and Singapore mileage members have 18 more days than United members to grab those partner space seats.
Question #5 How do I book the outbound day when it becomes available and the return when it becomes available? How does it all work together?
This only applies to airlines that only offer round-trip awards and not one-way awards. So first, try to book airlines that allow one-way awards. You could even return with another mileage program and transfer your miles over.
Pro Tip: Consider booking your departure with American 331 days out, and your return on Cathay Pacific 360 days out.
If only round-trip awards are offered, like All Nippon for example, book any return date as a placeholder date, and keep checking each day for the return date you want. Good News: All Nippon date changes are free.
For more on award change and cancellation fees see FCF’s No Worries Widget.
A Qool Hack
Booking Qatar Airways QSuites using Cathay Pacific Asia Miles instead of American AAdvantage. Qatar Airways’ QSuites is one of the most popular Business Class cabins in the world. These seats get booked very quickly, even though Qatar Airways releases lots of award space. American members can only book 331 days in advance, however by using Cathay Pacific Asia Miles (a credit card transfer partner with Amex, Chase, Citi, and Marriott), you can book 360 days in advance. That gives you a 29-day head start to score one of these lucrative seats.
Elite, Yet Still Losing
Unfortunately, the three major U.S. airlines – American, Delta, and United – have the shortest booking advance windows when compared to other international airlines. That’s the price you pay for being locked in with these airlines, as it’s possible to end up with a lot of missed opportunities when you can only book 331 to 337 days in advance versus weeks earlier for other airlines.
The lesson? It’s better to be a loyalty-free traveler who isn’t married to one needy mileage/elite program. That way you’ll have the flexibility to earn points with Amex Rewards or Chase, and then transfer them to a mileage program that allows you to book further out.
Early Bird Catches the Flight
Understanding each airline’s award calendar can have a huge effect on your ability to book First and Business Class mileage award flights. In many cases, you can book an entire month before others when using the right airline loyalty programs. As they say, first in, best dressed.
Below are some examples of FCF Sweet Redeems alerts that are bookable now for travel far out; February through April 2021.
First Class with All Nippon to Asia
More First Class to Asia with All Nippon—for Only 110,000 Amex Points!
Even More First Class to Asia with All Nippon
First Class with Japan Airlines to Asia
More First Class With Japan Airlines
Remember to think about striking while the iron it hot.
