While some airlines have had their calendars open for the 2020 Summer Olympics for a couple of weeks, the US airlines are just getting ready to release the reservation schedule for that time. This means you will need to act fast to snap up any US airline space or any partner award space. Here is when the US airlines start their reservations for the 2020 Summer Olympics.
2020 Summer Olympics: Get Ready to Book Award Flights with US Airline Miles
Link: 2020 Summer Olympics
The 2020 Summer Olympics will be held in Tokyo, Japan from July 24 – August 9, 2020. This is already a very hot event with event tickets selling out very quickly and hotels filling up or already filled. Given how beautiful Tokyo is and how efficient the Japanese run things, it is expected to be a very well run Olympics!
Many people will be trying to get there with airline miles since tickets will likely cost quite a bit more than normal and it will be easier to save money on flights than on even tickets. While airlines like JAL, ANA, and British Airways have had their calendars open for flights to Japan for a couple of weeks now, US airlines are not yet taking reservations just yet.
Here are the key dates for US airlines and award reservations for the 2020 Summer Olympics:
| US Airline | Date to book for Start of Olympics | Date to book for End of the Olympics | Economy Cost in Miles | Business Cost in Miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Airlines | August 28, 2019 | September 14, 2019 | From 30,000 | From 50,000 |
| American Airlines | August 27, 2019 | September 13, 2019 | 32,500 | 60,000 |
| Delta Air Lines | August 27, 2019 | September 13, 2019 | From 42,000 | From 120,000 |
| United Airlines | August 21, 2019 | September 8, 2019 | 35,000 | 80,000 |
It is important to note that each of these airlines do have saver/low cost awards as well as everyday/standard awards that are quite a bit more expensive. Also, with Alaska Airlines, visit this page to see the different award amounts since it will depend on the airline.
As you can see, you can already book United Airline awards for flights the day before opening day, July 23, 2020. However, the price is huge! So, if possible, fly a couple of days before the start of the Olympics (especially since you will arrive a day later) to take advantage of pricing at just 35,000 miles one way.
I would definitely lock in a flight with miles earlier rather than later! Airline award availability will certainly open up again as airlines see if they cannot sell as many seats as anticipated, but the prices will not go down.
To read more coverage about the 2020 Summer Olympics here on Running with Miles, click here.
Might be better to book an award to elsewhere in Asia got longhaul, and then figure out how to get to Tokyo.
Definitely! I have another post I am working on after the schedule is completely open for the whole Olympics to highlight some potential deal destinations. Thanks!