Blackout Dates
EarlyReturns® redemption seats are subject to blackout dates and availability. A blackout date is defined as a day that there are no regular redemption seats available anywhere in our system. Because of blackout dates, award seats will not be available for redemption travel on all flights on the days you see below. Available award seats will depend on the flight, the date of travel, the expected demand for the flight, the season, the destination, and various other factors.
Standard Award Blackout Dates
2011 Domestic & International Blackout Dates
December 23 and 26
2012 Domestic & International Blackout Dates
January 2
February 17 and 20
July 8
November 21, 24, 25 and 26
December 21, 26 and 30
Choice Award Blackout Dates
2011 Domestic & International Blackout Dates
December 26
2012 Domestic & International Blackout Dates
January 2
November 25
December 26 and 30
EarlyReturns® blackout FAQs
Why Blackout dates?
While it sounds strange, blackout dates actually increase the value of your miles and the EarlyReturns® program overall. Essentially, in exchange for adding blackouts on dates that would offer limited seat availability to begin with, we offer increased availability of redemption seats throughout our system on other dates by approximately 30 percent. We feel this gives our members a better opportunity to use the miles they have accumulated, thereby increasing the value of those miles.
Will this mean there are fewer seats?
No. In exchange for a few blackout dates during the year we reallocate seats to create increased availability on other flights on dates that are not blacked out. This increases a passenger's opportunity of getting a redemption seat on non-blackout dates. However, please remember that being flexible is key when booking award travel. Passengers who are able to travel on a Thursday or a Monday (as opposed to a Friday or a Sunday), stand a much better chance at securing an award seat. For additional redemption tips, click here to visit our Redemption Tips page.
It sometimes seems that I can never find a seat on a particular flight now matter how flexible I am. How is the number of seats available for redemption determined?
The number of redemption seats available is determined by consumer demand. So, unfortunately the most popular flights (such as the day before Christmas or Thanksgiving) may be considered blackout dates, but other non-peak days will have more seats available than the previous set amount.
The date I want to travel is not a blackout date, why aren't there any seats available?
Planning ahead and being flexible is most definitely the key when booking award travel. Redemption seat availability is not guaranteed and depends on the flight, the date of travel, the expected demand for the flight, the season, the destination, and various other factors.
If seat availability is based on consumer demand, will the number of available award seats fluctuate as the flights get closer to departure?
Possibly. With the exception of the blackout dates, there are award seats allocated for every city, every day, although the quantity may vary by city and by date. Once set, award seat allocation generally does not change - except on rare occasions, which is why it is key to plan ahead. Our Sales and Specials emails are a good place to check for last minute award seat availability. To ensure you are receiving these emails, check your EarlyReturns account profile and view your email settings. Because it is unlikely that additional award seats will open up at a later date, we strongly recommend that you check alternate dates, cities, and times to book award travel if your first choice is unavailable.