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We’ve all been there: You’ve saved up all your travel rewards for a dream vacation, you’re ready to book your flight, but there are no empty seats on any of your desired flights.
It’s a common problem many of us run into, especially when trying to book flights during peak travel season. For someone new to points and miles, this might be frustrating enough to throw in the towel on your trip. But if you’re a seasoned pro (or have the guidance of one), you can weather this storm with a few helpful tips.
Our comprehensive guide will equip you with strategies and workarounds to increase your chances of scoring those elusive award seats. Here are eight things to do when you can’t find award availability.
Adjust your travel dates
If you can’t find award availability but really don’t want to pay out of pocket for your flight, consider being flexible with your travel dates.
Sometimes shifting your travel plans by a day or two can open up more award availability. Peak travel times, such as holidays and weekends, often have less award availability. Try searching for flights during off-peak times or seasons when demand is lower.
Instead of setting concrete dates from the start, try looking for available flights over a range of days or even weeks. You might be surprised at how adjusting your departure or return by a day or two can open up more opportunities to use your points or miles.
Having flexibility in your travel dates significantly increases your chances of finding award availability. Major airlines often release award seats during less popular travel times, which can vary based on the destination and time of year.
Use these expert award travel tools
Finding award availability often isn’t as simple as searching the airline’s website. This is because some award space is not searchable online and others are only visible on partner airline websites.
In some cases you might have to call the airline to search for award space, which can be a hit or miss depending on how knowledgeable the customer service agents are. This is where award search tools like ExpertFlyer and point.me take the hassle out of award searching.
These tools can help you search for award availability across multiple airlines and dates simultaneously. ExpertFlyer allows you to set seat alerts for specific flights, so you don’t have to keep searching for availability.
Meanwhile, point.me is more user-friendly and allows you to search award space in real time across 100+ airlines. Both tools are immensely useful and can cut down your search time while uncovering award space you might not be aware of.
We recommend point.me for most casual travelers. It works similarly to Expedia, Orbitz and other online travel agencies. Just plug in your desired airports, travel dates and class of service and you’ll be presented with available flights.
A point.me subscription starts at $129 per year, or you can buy a 24-hour pass for $5. Those with the Bilt Mastercard® can use the service to search award space on Bilt’s transfer partners for free in the Bilt Rewards app.
Try searching for a different cabin
Sometimes finding award space is as simple as choosing a different cabin. Instead of searching exclusively for economy class, be open to premium economy, business class, or even first class options.
Of course, the same applies in reverse – for example, the difference between flying business and first class is usually nominal. So, if you find better availability in one cabin or the other, it’s usually worth booking what’s available.
You might even save miles by booking a premium cabin. Many airlines have non-saver economy awards that require more miles than a saver business class ticket. Checking availability across multiple cabins can help you get the best deal possible. And by being flexible with the type of cabin you are willing to fly in, you’ll also increase your chances of finding available seats.
Search for partner award flights
Leveraging airline partnerships and alliances can be a valuable strategy when you’re struggling to find award availability.
If your frequent flyer program of choice is part of an airline alliance or if you have transferable points (like Chase Ultimate Rewards), explore partner airlines that might have better award availability. Sometimes, award seats are available on partner airlines even when they’re not operated by the airline you initially searched for.
By leveraging these partnerships, you open up a wider range of flight options and increase your chances of securing award seats. Not all partner awards are searchable online, so you may have to call the airline to get the seats you want.
For example, American Airlines partners with Japan Airlines (JAL), which has plenty of flights between the US and Tokyo. If American has no flights on those routes, you might have better luck with JAL.
Likewise, you can use British Airways Avios to book domestic flights on American for as few as 7,500 Avios one-way. Better yet, American Express Membership Rewards® points, Bilt Rewards Points, Capital One miles and Chase Ultimate Rewards® points all transfer to British Airways.
It’s rare, but some partner awards may not show up online. If you have a hunch that’s the case for the award you want to book, you should call the airline’s customer service number to reserve your seat. Not all customer service agents are familiar with partner awards, so it helps to provide things like airport codes and flight numbers.
Try a different airport or book a positioning flight
When you can’t find award availability on your desired flights, it may be helpful to consider alternative airports. Look for nearby airports that are within a reasonable distance from your origin or destination. It might be worth driving an extra hour or two to a different airport to get the flight you need.
So if you live in New York City, you might want to search for flights from Philadelphia if you can’t find award space from the three major New York airports. It’s just a quick drive or Amtrak ride away and is a large American Airlines hub with hundreds of flights per day.
You may also want to consider using positioning flights when you can’t find award availability to or from your home airport. A positioning flight involves booking a separate — usually cheap — ticket to a nearby city or airport where award availability is more accessible.
For example, a Bay Area resident might consider booking a cheap positioning flight to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), which often has more international award options than San Francisco International (SFO).
By being open with the airports you fly into or out of, you can uncover award seats that might not otherwise be on your radar.
Look for last-minute award tickets
If you can’t find award availability when searching well in advance, you might still luck out with last-minute award seats. Some airlines open up additional award availability closer to departure.
Specifically, Lufthansa is known to release first and business-class awards up to 15 days before departure. This knowledge will save you a lot of hassle if you’re feverishly looking for seats well in advance and are frustrated with a lack of options.
Lufthansa isn’t the only airline to open up last-minute award seats – United and Swiss also tend to open up unbooked seats close to departure. So there’s still a chance of snagging that elusive award seat if you’re flexible and ready to book at short notice.
Keep an eye out for any last-minute deals or promotions that might pop up, and be prepared to act quickly when they do. Remember, staying patient and persistent is key when booking award travel.
Redeem credit card points through a travel portal
If you can’t find any flights using airline miles, you might be tempted to throw in the towel and pay for a ticket out of pocket. If you have transferable rewards, you can redeem your points towards the cost of a ticket.
For example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® lets cardholders redeem points through Chase Travel℠ at 1.5 cents each. So, this $401 ticket costs around 26,714 points.
Not every program requires you to book through a special portal. For example, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card lets you redeem miles towards any travel purchase at 1 cent each. You can book your flight through the Capital One Travel portal, directly through the airline website or even third-party sites like Expedia. As long as your purchase codes as travel, you can apply miles towards the ticket cost.
Sometimes, redeeming credit card points this way is better than using airline miles or transferring credit card points to a partner. You’ll redeem fewer rewards and earn airline miles and elite status perks through your favorite frequent flyer program. Be sure to provide your frequent flyer number during the booking process so you earn miles when you fly.
Redeeming credit card points can be a great way to circumvent limited award availability and book the flight you want without being at the mercy of airlines releasing award space.
Consider a different method of travel
If you can’t find reasonably-priced flights and you aren’t willing to budge on travel dates, consider a different means of travel. Cruises, trains and buses can be excellent options, no matter where you’re traveling.
Transatlantic cruises can get you to Europe, Hawaii or the Caribbean for less than the cost of a flight. You’ll get a few relaxing days at sea on your way to your destination, with meals included.
And in some cases, taking a train might be more convenient than flying. You can often arrive minutes before your train departs and you’ll travel from city center-to-city center, saving you time and a taxi fare to and from the airport.
Finally, may also consider renting a car to position yourself at another airport or to travel from one city to another. This lets you leave your personal car at home and fly right back in to your home airport if award space is available.
Bottom line
Booking your dream vacation with miles can be frustrating when you can’t find award availability. By being flexible with your travel dates, utilizing expert tools and familiarizing yourself with different rewards programs, you may uncover additional award space you weren’t aware of.
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