Business Platinum Card from American Express
130,000 MR points
Which Airlines Release Last-Minute Premium Award Seats?
Share this Article
Business Platinum Card from American Express
- Earn 90,000 MR points upon spending $15,000 in the first three months
- Plus, earn 40,000 MR points upon making a purchase in months 14–17 as a cardholder
- And, earn 1.25x MR points on all purchases
- Also, receive a $200 annual travel credit
- Transfer MR points to Aeroplan and other frequent flyer programs for premium flights
- Unlimited airport lounge access for you and one guest at Priority Pass, Plaza Premium, Centurion, and other lounges
- Credits and rebates for business expenses throughout the year with Amex Offers
- Bonus MR points for referring family and friends
- Qualify for the card as a sole proprietor
- Annual fee: $799
10 Comments
Prince of Travel is the leading resource for using frequent flyer miles, credit card points, and loyalty programs to travel the world at a fraction of the price.
Join our Sunday newsletter below to get weekly updates delivered straight to your inbox.
Have a question? Just ask.
Platinum Membership
Our Platinum members get access to a Circle community, exclusive live learning sessions, and in-person gatherings with like-minded travellers.
Top Offers
Latest News
Prince of Travel Elites
Hello Ricky,
Great post as usual. I did not know that there was a pattern (varying by airlines) for releasing last minute premium award seats from their distressed inventory. I have one comment though. Maybe, in your above article, when you first write “last-minute transpacific business class” re. United (right after the copy of your LX YUL-ZRH itinerary), you probably meant “last-minute transatlantic business class”. I did not understand at first…
Hello Ricky,
Great post as usual. I did not know that there was a pattern (varying by airlines) for releasing last minute premium award seats from their distressed inventory. I have one comment though. Maybe, in your above article, when you first write “last-minute transpacific business class” re. United (right after the copy of your LX YUL-ZRH itinerary), you probably meant “last-minute transatlantic business class”. I did not understand at first…
If my wife and I are looking to go to Spain 6 months from now (and don’t mind riding economy if we must), is it totally possible to just book economy and check nearer to departure for upgrades? Is it that simple?
Great post. Any insight for other regions of the world? I plan to do a last minute trip in the next month or so based on whatever I can find in business class with miles, but I probably will head to South America or Africa.
Other regions generally seem to have more award space to begin with, so you’re less likely to need to rely on last-minute space. The general rule that airlines tend to release more space as the departure date approaches still applies, although I didn’t come across any specific patterns in other parts of the world.
Great post as usual! Do you have any insight as to what time of the day they open up? Esp interested in EVA
Varies. Some releases are presumably algorithmic, triggered by time, loads and other factors. Some are not, like the mass release they did a couple years ago, releasing many seats per flight over 6 months of schedule, all in one big dump one night. I usually see availability changes after midnight ET
Good post! I have no idea if my schedule will be suitable for travel or time off 9-12 months in advance. So l book 90% of my flights T-2 to T-90 and have always had good luck in premium cabins. You do need to be flexible +/- a couple days and with gateway options. Not restricting yourself to Star Alliance is also helpful.
Last-minute availability on EVA is so reliable that I advise people not to book anything if they want EVA. Pack your bags, book off work, hire your plant waterer and begin your online searches at T-7. If you decide, in your heart, that there are three calendar dates acceptable for your departure, you’ll get what you want from EVA. This assumes that, like me, you travel on Aeroplan Oneways, instead of obsessing about "free" stopovers. I’ve never gone to Asia with a homebound flight booked before I left. And sometimes I get my homebound flight the day before flying it. No, my nails aren’t bitten to the quick. The seats always always always show up and if you have a decent stash of points in competing currencies, you can relax and feel confident.
Is it a safe bet to count on last minute EVA award availability between LAX and Taipei even around the holidays? I have a hotel booked around next Christmas but can’t find any availability at this time.