Got Miles? Book Now for NEXT Summer

There's no mystery why many flyers can't find award seats to popular destinations such as Europe in the summer.  It's because airlines only allocate a small number of seats for frequent flyer mileage rewards (at least at the minimum award level) and most people don't book far enough ahead.

Which is why it's not too early to start thinking about award seats for the summer of '07. 

Rules very from airline to airline, but many let award-seat seekers to begin booking 330 days ahead of desired travel dates.  So if you know you want to take a trip to France or Italy next May, now is the time to begin dialing.

Here's what to do:

• Call the airline you want to fly today and ask when the company begins taking reservations for travel on future flights. 
• Mark your calendar for the very first day you can book award tickets and call one minute after midnight on that day.
• If you can't grab award seats, ask for assistance in strategy.  Some airlines will hold back award seats for reasons only they know--airlines are tight-lipped when it comes to revealing strategies for snaring tough-to-get tickets.
• Some airline web sites post calendars that give an idea of when award seats are more likely to be available on specified routes.  Check your airline's site and see if that option is open to you.
• Be flexible if you can.  Sometimes departing a day or two earlier or later than you plan can deliver you a seat. 
• Keep in mind there's usually more than one way to get to a destination.  If the most logical way isn't available, consider flying into other cities and looking for a connection.

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