@maccaisking I must admit - I am one of those AFF's who live and breathe anything that takes flight. I just love browsing the forums and various airline reviews. So this exercise would probably go down as more fun than perseverance or the dumb luck I quoted. I literally checked VA 10+ times a day for availability. I had set up an alert with Expertflyer, but they can sometimes deliver results that are unique to Delta and I didn't think I could rely on them alone. Sometimes I would wake up and check at 1am, which is midnight AEST in Brisbane (where Virgin is located). Everything told me it was a risky move, choosing dates in January, but if you are prepared to be diligent and ready to commit at a minutes notice, these seats can open up 5 minutes after you swear they were not there.
Another good tip is to search one way. You are raising the odds exponentially if you are looking one way. Then, look the other way. If you are lucky enough to find availability for the dates and sectors you can manage - then book immediately. Don't even think of coming back in 5 minutes - someone is always looking at the same fare.
And my last tip, is to be flexible. We had already booked accommodation in the States for January 11, 2020. But the J reward fares didn't support those dates. When I decided to jump ahead one week - hey presto! J rewards everywhere. I could pick and choose my flights. The easiest thing to do was lock in the flights, then amend my accommodation. The inconvenience of youngest child missing a few days of school has been offset by the fact that Mum & Dad will be lying in a cozy bed with a fluffy doona all the way across the Pacific, after smashing Disneyland and Universal Studios for 3 weeks
Now
who's gonna argue with that logic?
