Introduction
Does this sound like you?
You have tons of points, say around 500,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards and you want to use them for your next trip.
You know where you want to travel to and with whom. But, you have this burning question.
"When should I start looking for award flights and how do I snag award seats?"
Award flights can be elusive, and it’s easy to get discouraged when you can’t find availability or struggle to book the flights you want. And imagine having to book business class award flights for a family of 4!
In today’s post, you’ll get some secrets and tips to increase your chances of finding and booking those coveted award flights — minus the anxiety.
The fundamental concept we follow and almost always tell our clients is this.
If you want to increase your chances of getting award seats, especially the ones in Business Class, the best time to start looking for them will be 330 days before your travel date.
That’s almost 10+ months ahead of the time you plan on going on that dream trip.
Sounds ridiculous, I know. But, it is one of the best ways to get sure-fire award seats.
Let’s take an example, shall we?
This month (May 2023), is a good time to start looking for flights for Mar/Apr 2024.
Say you want to travel to Singapore from San Fransisco in April 2024.
Having run a search for Business Class seats for 2 adults, here’s a great fare for a one-way trip to Singapore on Apr 24, 2024.
The cost for 2 people will be 175,000 points, one-way, on Singapore Airlines!
This is possible now because you will be booking it more than 300 days in advance.
So is farsighted planning always the only best way to grab these attractive seats?
While planning well ahead is one of the more recommended ways of searching for award seats, here’s another option you can pursue… if you like taking risks that is.
A few weeks before the desired date of travel, grab your search tools and set forth to monitor those award seats.
Because around 2-14 days before your travel date, award seats tend to open up, giving you an opportunity to get low-cost seats to go on that trip.
This gives you a chance to upgrade your existing coach or premium economy seats to a Business Class cabin or even book an impromptu trip if you are up for it.
Additional Tips:
- Use Flight Search Engines:
There are a number of flight search engines, like Expert Flyer and point.me, that can help you find award flights. These search engines allow you to search for award flights on multiple airlines and award programs at the same time. This can be a great way to find the best deal on your award flight. - Sign Up for Frequent Flyer Email Alerts:
Many airlines and award programs offer email alerts that will notify you when award flights are on sale. - Be Vigilant:
Even after buying your award seats, monitor your flights to ensure you are on the best business class product the airline has to offer.
Although finding and booking award seats seem like a daunting task, it is definitely attainable when done at the right time. Use these tips to book your next low-cost luxury travel for a trip of a lifetime.
Happy finding!
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