Booking flights on Air Miles

[ElCray]

Hello Air Miles gurus,

A friend of mine is booking some flights and we were strategizing about optimal use of the Air Miles booking site.

Wondering if anyone has any tips or best practices they could share?

Also two specific questions:

1. Does anyone know what time the portal updates with flights? (E.g. does the next day populate at midnight, 6 a.m., variable, etc.)
2. What is your experience with availability opening up on flights for a good Air Miles rate? Is it always best to book as early as possible?

TIA!

 

[ottawamom]

I've always started watching flights about a year before I want to book them. I then watch the AM rise and fall over the course of the year. There has been a pattern to flight sales etc in the past. Who knows what the pattern may be going forward.

The other thing I do is go to the Airlines website. See what the flight you want will cost with the Airline. Then go to Airmiles and see if that same flight is available and what it costs in AM (I use 95AM =$10) for this purpose.

I've never found a pattern to when flights become available on Airmiles. It's hit and miss. Booking earlier is usually a good thing because once the Airmiles seats are gone the flight will disappear from availability and likely won't reappear.

The new thing to keep in mind (Covid times) the Airline may have more flexible change/cancellation policies than what may be available on Airmiles. Thinking of AC non-expiry credits. Waiting a little longer these days to book a flight closer to flight time might be a wiser choice.

All of this of course depends on where they are thinking of flying to and how many people they have travelling.

 

[ElCray]

Report-back!

My friend managed to get tickets for Ottawa to Orlando. She got the direct flight she was hoping for for her family of 5. It's during high season but we think she got them for the best amount of miles she could.

I was up in the night and the availability rolled over around midnight.

 

[ottawamom]

That's a great accomplishment. Getting tickets on a direct flight for 5 on Airmiles. When are they going?

 

[ElCray]

March 2022, knock on wood!

 

[ottawamom]

I wish them luck and hope they are able to go. I would love to be heading there myself but end of April for me.

 

[ElCray]

I wish them luck and hope they are able to go. I would love to be heading there myself but end of April for me.

I'm hoping for May!

 

[tgropp]

I’ve always found that booking during the high season is the best value for airmiles redemption on flights. it is always wise to check at the one year booking window to try and get the lowest rates. I booked eight flights on Christmas 2018 but the miles were fluctuating so bad that I had to book one way flights for each way. The BMO Airmiles MasterCard used to give you a 25% discount but it’s now lowered to 15% but gives you two lounge passes.

 

[ottawamom]

The lounge passes are going the way of the dodo bird at the end of this year.