Q. I’ve booked a trip to Europe on Continental for next summer using frequent-flier miles, but I’m hoping to get better connections during the intervening six to seven months.  Is there any particular day of the week or time of day when new frequent-flier availability might be likely to appear, or is it totally random?

A. It’s really hard to predict when or if frequent flyer seats and routes will open up. You might try calling Continental’s frequent flyer desk and speaking to a supervisor, and be sure to check often, since people holding the flights you want might cancel their plans. Also, even if all else fails, a kindly agent at the airport might change your flights on the day of travel to the connections you want. So it doesn’t hurt to ask.