LGW-MCO Reward Seat Availability

Hello all
After a bit of advice from those in the know.
We've booked LGW-MCO reward seats every year for at least the last 6-7 years.
We don't travel during school holidays and are super flexible with our dates. Usually, we jump on the flights the day they are released and often have booked the outbound before the inbound is released.
We're looking to travel in November 2018 but there isn't one single reward seat available (nothing in Sept, October either)
Are reward seats from Gatwick a thing of the past? I can easily get seats from Manchester but that would be a bit of a hike
I'm one of those people that's constantly running dummy searches and I've been surprised at just how much reward seats from Gatwick seem to have dried up in the past year. That said, I've noticed some August 2018 seats have now been released so perhaps it's just a bit slower to add reward seats to the inventory now?
Just trying to decide if I should book miles plus money seats or hold on a bit longer?
Any insight you guys have would be much appreciated
Thanks!

Like you I have booked many times in the past, booking on the day of release of the outbound and upgrading the inbound when that comes out on reward seats.
This year for our annual Feb jaunt we ended up coming home from Atlanta rather than MCO because no return reward flights appeared.
Then booking for next February we struggled and ended up paying for PE out and UC home from Orlando.
I do think things have changed and wish you the best of luck.
Have you only looked at direct flights? There may be some via Atlanta.

Dick D

Thanks for the feedback
Yep, I've only looked at direct flights but you've got me thinking
It's certainly changed!
I'm tempted to wait as we are travelling at a really slow time so they may yet release some reward seats. I expect if they do, it's not going to be until 6 or 7 months out though

I believe that reward seats are not always released as soon as seats go on sale. We also have travelled regularly to Florida and have found that for the last few trips. We have found more availability into and out of Mia. We are using Mia in May 2018. That may be worth a try?
When we use mia we book into a hotel, usually the Marriott before driving up to Orlando the following day.
Good luck!

As an aside, you guys who are saying you book the outbound on the day of release. Do you do this as a 1 way trip? If not how do you get the return leg if you book the outbound at t-331 days?

TIA

You can book both legs of a return journey separately if using miles, so if there’s availability you can book each leg the day it goes on sale rather than having to wait until the return leg goes on sale.

(Obviously you can do the same with cash bookings too, but two singles will invariably be much more expensive than a return.)

[Nottingham Nick]

For years now, I have always booked my Upper reward seats one way, as soon as availability appears.
It is a gamble, there is no denying that, but so far I haven't been burnt. The maxims of flexibility and frequent checking are even more in play when you have gone out on a limb and booked.

I nearly got burnt for our up coming trip to the cricket in NZ next March (18). I booked the outbound to HKG no problem at all,and we planned a six week trip. What (somewhat stupidly) I didn't realise at the time - was that our return dates fell in the Easter holidays; and no G's appeared anywhere on the entire VS route, other than NYC and LAX for weeks and weeks.

I had all sorts of contingencies planned - all of which involved Asian LCCs and a round the world. Then, out of the blue, mid afternoon one day - two G's HKG - LHR appeared in isolation, on the exact date we wanted - problem was, as it was now peak time, they were more points than I had anticipated. VS were excellent though - I was straight on the phone and bagged them, and the agent was happy to stay on the line for a couple of minutes while I tapped away on my laptop, and transferred some Amex points into my account.

Booking reward flights isn't always plain sailing, but I think the effort is worth it.

Nick

I do the same a Nick, book the outbound as soon as.
Trouble this year was that no inbound showed up from MCO but we saw availability from Atlanta and since our actual holiday destination is South Carolina it was actually closer so we grabbed it.
Dick D

Availalbilty from Gatwick has certainly changed considerably.
We've always lucked out with reward seats for years and years.
I'm one of those people who check the VA website multiple times a day, even when I'm not looking to book!
There is definitely a change on the LGW-MCO route. I can easily get LHR-MIA or MAN-MCO for any date I want in November but the latest available reward seats from LGW-MCO are the last week of August.