I've read some recent posts on this forum, and the Airlines branch, about the "impossibility" of securing seats using frequent flyer seats. I've found that if you pay close attention to the rules (reading flyertalk.com, lots of the threads on this forum, especially Patty's, etc.) and can plan well in advance (11 months or so, which I'm aware that not all of can do), its not difficult to get free seats.

I just booked a trip for May 2009, flying into Amman, Jordan and back from Beirut, Lebanon. I used 80,000 Delta SkyMiles, and by using their very helpful chart, I was able to monitor flights and get the flights on my desired dates.

I also note that I was able to get free seats for three 2008 trips: (1) May trip from JFK via Tahiti to Easter Island (75,000 AA miles); (2) August trip into Baku, Azerbaijan and back from Yerevan, Armenia (50,000 Delta miles) and (3) December trip to lots of places in Micronesia, basically into Guam and back from Manila, via Saipan, Yap and Palau (lots of Continental miles).

The trick was booking all of these flights 11 months in advance. I'm now watching the calendar so that I can book a trip to Europe in August 2009.

So, successes, including to the Middle East, are out there.

Michael

Every year I do a very complicated, 16 segment trip all over the world utilizing AA OneWorld award and I never book it more than 3-4 months out. Never have a major problem. A date adjustment here and there but always very successful. The award usually involves AA, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, LAN, Qantas, Malev and Iberia.

I never booked a trip 11 months out.

I find that one of the simple tricks to getting seats with FF miles is to be flexible about where I want to go. I use miles on less popular/common routes that have reward seat availability and then buy tickets to get to places with limited availability - that sounds like thit_cho's plan is somewhat similar (probably not a lot of families going to Baku or Yerevan on spring break). For example, I used FF points to fly from Paris to Oman in World Traveller Plus for a great dive holiday, but spent my own $ for relatively cheap tickets to the Caribbean.

Fyi, I used 100,000 miles for my trip (flying from JFK to AMM in business class, which I prefer for the 11-hour or so overnight flight, and returning in coach). The same flights, if booked only a week after I did, are going for 245,000 miles.

So, if you can book early, it can work to your advantage, not only for greater flight availability, but also cost (number of miles).

I'm now watching the calendar and planning a trip (with miles) in August 2009 (likely to Europe, and I only want to use 50,000 miles)

fyi,

I used 130k AA miles for the following in business class and first class utilizing AA OneWorld award:

First trip -

Sarasota-Miami-London-Cairo(stop)
Cairo-London-Dubrovnik(stop)
Dubrovnik-London-Manchester-Chicago-Tampa(stop)

This was in February

Second trip -

Tampa-San Juan-Port of Spain(stop)
Port of Spain-Miami(stop)

This was just few weeks ago

Third trip -

Miami-Chicago(stop)
Chicago-Miami-Sarasota(end)

This trip is booked for December


All one ticket, all for 130k miles. AA first class domestically and AA, BA and IB business class on international routes.

Booked last December, with hardly any dates adjustments. In fact I changed my Chicago trip twice since booking it and did not have any availability problems.

The first trip was:

Sarasota-Miami-Madrid-Cairo(stop) (Not London)

AAFrequentFlyer do tell - did you get a seat assignment on BA business class well before your flight?
If you did, I would love to know how.

With AA Exec Plat/OneWorld Emerald status I have no problems reserving economy/business/first class seats at the time of purchase.

Unfortunately not all of us can be Exec/Plat - some of us have to settle for Gold status (only over 1 million miles) - and that apparently isn't good enough for BA.
Not to mention that on ANY OTHER airline in the civilized world you don't need ANY status at all to book a seat in any class of service, much less in business class. One exception being - BA.