In tough times like these, one bit of conventional wisdom comes roaring to the fore: Book mileage tickets as far in advance as possible. That’s still pretty much true, but there are some subtleties that can improve your chances of getting that seat.

Six Tips to Improve Your Mileage Redemption Odds

1. Know your airline’s advance booking window. For US carriers it ranges from 330 to 352 days, with Northwest having the longest window. Your odds of getting a seat increase if you book with an airline as early as possible. In other words, don’t pass on Northwest now for what might be available on Continental later. [table_opt style="gray-header" id="1621 " width="" alignment="center" responsive="all" heading="thcenter" rows="tdcenter"]
2. Don’t wait to book the outbound flight until you can book the return flight. Make it a two-step process: Confirm your outbound flight ASAP and ask the reservationist to “hold” the outbound seat(s) until you can confirm the return segment. If push comes to shove and the airline insists that you ticket the outbound flight, book a dummy return flight—as long as you can change it later. Of course, there are fees (ranging from $50 to $250) for changing your booking or redepositing the miles in your account. But remember, transferred credit card points are final.
3. Don’t wait to book your ideal return date. Instead, secure your return flight for the earliest date you can live with. Try to move it out each day thereafter. This way, you have a seat even if your preferred return date doesn’t come through.
4. Don’t give up if you can’t get an outbound flight. Getting a mileage upgrade on the return segment is better than no upgrade at all.
5. Keep all the available mileage-purchase options in mind. It can pay huge dividends to call airlines you don’t have miles with to see if they have seats that will work for you. If so, you can buy the miles you need for an award. For example, Alaska Airlines partners with SkyTeam alliance members Air France, Continental, Delta, KLM, and Northwest, as well as with Oneworld alliance members American, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, and Qantas. Alaska sells miles for 2.75¢ each. Or try Mexicana, even if you’re not going to Mexico. Its partners include Air New Zealand, American, Asiana, Cathay Pacific, Iberia, Lufthansa, and Qantas, among others. Miles only cost 2.2¢ each.
6. It’s impossible to know exactly when fares/seats are loaded into the system. It’s often mid-morning, not when the clock strikes 12:01 a.m. You could miss out! Keep checking in, and maybe recruit some family and friends to help out.