The MileSeat field guide
When Do BA Release Reward Flights? Booking Window Explained
Start with the 355-day window. Avios’ official guidance says reward seats are made available 355 days before departure. That tells you when to start looking; it does not guarantee seats will still be there when you search.
By MileSeat · Rules checked 27 October 2026
Source: Avios Reward Flights guidance, checked 27 October 2026. This guide focuses on BA; do not apply the window to every partner programme.
When should you start checking?
Choose your travel dates. Each leg has its own 355-day booking window.
Calendar calculation: travel date minus 355 days. Dates are planning guidance, not a confirmed release time. This tool does not schedule a booking or an email reminder.
What time should you check?
The official source above establishes the 355-day window, but does not specify an exact release hour. Our calculator therefore gives a date, rather than a guaranteed midnight release or second-by-second countdown.
If you are planning a time-sensitive booking, confirm the opening time with BA. Pay attention to the time zone: GMT and British Summer Time are not interchangeable. A booking-window calculation is planning guidance, not a promise about when a particular flight will appear.
Your return flight opens on its own date
A return flight ten days after departure reaches the 355-day window ten days later. Calculate both legs separately. An open outbound date cannot make a later return bookable early.
If you are using a voucher, check the booking and change procedure with BA before committing to a one-way plan. See our Companion Voucher booking guide for the distinction between ordinary seats and voucher-specific availability.
How many reward seats does BA guarantee?
BA’s official Reward Flights page lists minimum allocations on BA flights to and from London Heathrow and Gatwick: eight economy, two premium economy and four business-class reward seats, where those cabins are offered.
For London City, BA lists two business and two economy reward seats. Its published list does not promise a minimum First Class allocation. These are published allocations, not a statement that those seats are unclaimed today.
What if your date has no seats?
- Check the window. Your date may not be open, or one leg of a return may still be outside the window.
- Check the actual search. Use the correct route, cabin and passenger count. For a Companion Voucher, select it in your BA account.
- Check the source. Missing or stale calendar data does not prove the airline has no seats. Confirm on BA.
- Keep your plans flexible. Initial availability can be booked by others. Check nearby dates and revisit the official search; later inventory is not guaranteed.
MileSeat’s background calendar refresh is periodic, not a live feed of the instant BA opens a date. Seat alerts do not reserve inventory or guarantee that you will catch an initial release. For an opening-day booking, use the official booking flow directly.
Check BA reward dates →Work out your budget before the window opens
Use the Avios calculator to explore route and cabin costs. When you have an actual quote, the points vs cash calculator helps compare the points and fees with the cash fare.
355 days is not the same as a calendar year. The date calculator subtracts calendar days and handles year boundaries and leap years. It does not check a live BA flight schedule or create an automatic reminder.