Award Availability Release Dates
Utilizing award release schedules can be daunting for many. However, if you're trying to secure rare award seats (think ANA or JAL first class), one of the best ways to do so is booking far in advance, ideally at the point of when award availability is just being released.
There is no simple strategy that encompasses everything, but by knowing when airlines release award availability and by having a flexible travel schedule, you might be able to secure some highly sought-after awards with little resistance! Roame helps make this process go faster by enabling you to quickly search for results across the board.
Two key things to note:
- Airlines release their award seats at varying timepoints
- Airlines can only book partner flights at varying timepoints
This means that while X airlines might release flights 361 days in advance, partner airline Y might only be able to book flights up to 331 days in advance. The implications are that those valuable seats might get scooped by in just that 30 day window.
The Basics of Award Release Timing
Understanding when airlines release award seats is foundational. Airlines typically make award seats available 330 to 360 days before departure. However, nuances exist, such as last-minute releases or additional allocations closer to the date, highlighting the importance of both early planning and spontaneity. While it's more difficult to predict when additional availability will arrive for "close-in" bookings (as in, knowing what flights will come available maybe 2 weeks before your flight), it's well established that airlines release award seats based on a well-defined schedule.
Popular Transfer Partners That Can Book Partner Awards:
Here's what we found for award release schedules for popular transfer partner airlines (you might find these numbers differ +/- 1 day for you given time zones). This table gives dates for when you can use your miles in these programs to book any kind of flight:
| Frequent Flyer Program | How Far In Advance You Can Search/Book | Date From Today |
|---|---|---|
| Aeromexico Rewards | 330 | Sat Oct 17 2026 |
| Aer Lingus AerClub | 330 | Sat Oct 17 2026 |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 355 | Wed Nov 11 2026 |
| Air France/KLM Flying Blue | 359 | Sun Nov 15 2026 |
| Alaska Mileage Plan | 331 | Sun Oct 18 2026 |
| American AAdvantage | 331 | Sun Oct 18 2026 |
| ANA Mileage Club | 355 | Wed Nov 11 2026 |
| Asiana Club | 361 | Tue Nov 17 2026 |
| Avianca LifeMiles | 355 | Wed Nov 11 2026 |
| British Airways Executive Club | 354 | Tue Nov 10 2026 |
| Cathay Pacific | 360 | Mon Nov 16 2026 |
| Delta SkyMiles | 331 | Sun Oct 18 2026 |
| Emirates Skywards | 328 | Thu Oct 15 2026 |
| Etihad Guest | 330 | Sat Oct 17 2026 |
| EVA Air Infinity Mileage Lands | 360 | Mon Nov 16 2026 |
| Finnair Plus | 360 | Mon Nov 16 2026 |
| Iberia Plus | 360 | Mon Nov 16 2026 |
| Japan Airlines Milage Bank | 360 | Mon Nov 16 2026 |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 331 | Sun Oct 18 2026 |
| Korean Air SkyPass | 361 | Tue Nov 17 2026 |
| Lufthansa Miles & More | 360 | Mon Nov 16 2026 |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 353 | Mon Nov 09 2026 |
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club | 361 | Tue Nov 17 2026 |
| Singapore Airlines Krisflyer | 355 | Wed Nov 11 2026 |
| TAP Air Portugal MIles&Go | 361 | Tue Nov 17 2026 |
| Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus | 339 | Mon Oct 26 2026 |
| Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles | 355 | Wed Nov 11 2026 |
| United MileagePlus | 337 | Sat Oct 24 2026 |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 331 | Sun Oct 18 2026 |
Please note that some dates may differ from other resources by 1 day. Our math works by taking today's date and then adding X days to the top, whereas other sources may add X days inclusive of today's date. For example, if today is 03/21/2024 and I say 1 more day, that is 03/22/2024. But others may say that 1 more day is 03/21/2024. Weird, but if you look at the date from today, you will have accurate info :)
If you're trying to book a partner flight using another airline's miles, take the lowest of the two numbers to know when the award will be soonest bookable. For instance, if you are trying to book an Air France/KLM flight using Delta SkyMiles, the soonest you'll be able to do that is in 331 days.
Other Airlines / Transfer Partners That Can't Book Partner Awards:
| Frequent Flyer Program | How Far In Advance You Can Search/Book | Date From Today |
|---|---|---|
| Frontier Airlines | 293 | Thu Sep 10 2026 |
| Hawaiian Airlines | 330 | Sat Oct 17 2026 |
| Southwest Airlines | Southwest releases flights in batches of about 2 months at a time, with new dates released every 4-10 weeks | n/a |
| Spirit Airlines | 140* (as of 03/19/24) | Fri Apr 10 2026 |
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Award Search Tools
Modern tools like Roame can help accelerate the award search process. When searching for awards, instead of flicking through each program individually, you can quickly and easily see if availability on the appropriate partners are available. For example, say I want to look far out and see the best options for a flight to Singapore from Los Angeles (at the time of this article, 365 days is May 20, 2024)
Knowing that Aeroplan releases award availability 354 days out, I conduct a live +/-3 day search using Roame, which allows me to quickly find significant early award availability.
Conclusion
Knowing and understanding when airlines release award availability for both their own and partner flights can give you an early edge when booking difficult-to-find award seats. By combining this knowledge with Roame, you can do a lot of cool things to maximize the value of your points, as long as you can plan far ahead and be flexible with your travel plans.
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