Reward Flight Booking Strategies

Hi All,
I am booking flights from London to Johannesburg this October for my wifes' 50th Birthday and would like to use reward points to upgrade to Upper Class on at least one of the legs. Now there is little availability now but should I book an economy flight and check back for Reward availability? Any experience or success stories?

Generally if looking for a reward flight I start as soon as they open 330 days ahead.
However, there is no obvious pattern as to when reward seats may be released. They can appear and disappear at any time.
If booking economy, make sure you can upgrade. I think that part is easier now than it used to be with the new economy grades. (you cannot upgrade from Economy Light)
When I've been looking I would check several times a day from the moment I get up.
Do a dummy booking for a one way ticket paying with miles. As soon as you find the one you want phone up.
Best of luck.
Dick D

yep I echo Dicky's thoughts, if you are going to upgrade then I'd book economy classic/delight (remember this is what you'll end up with if no reward seats come up) and I would then check daily (often several times a day) I know it sounds like work but the app can check pretty quickly now so its a few mins each day. Good luck.

yep I echo Dicky's thoughts, if you are going to upgrade then I'd book economy classic/delight (remember this is what you'll end up with if no reward seats come up) and I would then check daily (often several times a day) I know it sounds like work but the app can check pretty quickly now so its a few mins each day. Good luck.

The app is only good for checking specific days, if you are flexible the website is a far better bet as you can search a 5 week window..

The problem with flexible is that if you book your economy seat and a reward comes up for a different day it costs to change your original booking.
Only about £30 per person I think.

Dick D

thanks for your recommendations, I am checking as I type....

You should always check a couple of times a day.

It's my 50th in November and have as lovely condo on Palm Beach and then another on Marco Island booked.

About three months ago tried using miles for upgrades in and out of Orlando. From constant checking managed to find Upper availability for two out, but nothing home. Called and got in Upper out to MCO from LGW but after looking around the agent offered 2 x premium home from Miami to Heathrow. Not as nice (only been to MIA once and hated it) and I live in Sussex so LGW easier, but it's not economy so fine. Been checking many times a day since. This morning there's Upper availability on the homeward bound MIA-LHR. Called up - got them for a few more miles, taxes remained the same (which confused them, but it seems it was right) and there's 30% extra miles boost at the moment so got almost 23,000 miles for £175. Quite a productive Sunday morning.

So, don't give up - keep looking.

ColH
thanks for the heads up on the 30% bonus for miles booster.
Well it would be if after 50 minutes on the phone I'd managed to achieve anything.
20 minutes waiting then 30 not managing to get the transaction right. There is yet another IT glitch in the system.
Hopefully I'll get it sorted before the end of the month.

Secondly, enjoy Marco Island. It is a wonderful place.

Dick D

ColH
thanks for the heads up on the 30% bonus for miles booster.
Well it would be if after 50 minutes on the phone I'd managed to achieve anything.
20 minutes waiting then 30 not managing to get the transaction right. There is yet another IT glitch in the system.
Hopefully I'll get it sorted before the end of the month.
Dick D

Hi Dick

It took 3 weeks and 2 days last October to get a retrospective miles booster accepted, as each time we were given the message that the MBNA Amex had been rejected. Apparently it is/was a (little known) problem. SpaceDog has also had the same issue.

To resolve it - once I found an agent that acknowledged the issue - Flying Club Support had to contact Points.Com. Flying Club Support cannot by contacted by us customers, and has limited opening hours - from memory 10.00 am until 4.00 pm.

I'm going to try & retrospectively boost a June flight using the new Virgin + card, but I'm going to wait until tomorrow!

My problem was not that it wasn't accepting my card, it was them not calculating the miles available.
We went out to Orlando in Feb in PE so 4343 miles there
Came back in March in Upper so 8686
I want to double boost and get told all sorts of different mileages, none of which added up to two times 8686 + 43443
so in the end we agreed to give up and pass it on to the IT department.
If they don't come back to me in a couple of days I'll call again.
Dick D