When you want to book multiple Award flights at schedule opening, it may be useful to book dummy awards in advance, bookmark all the links to modify each one (excluding the session variable!), then use those Change Itinerary to book the flights you want after schedule extension; that should be much quicker for online booking, but slower for phone booking, so you'll have to decide in advance.
You should book non-connecting dummy flights ($2.50 fee) for trips you know will be non-stop and connecting dummy flights ($5.00 fee) for trips you know will be connecting flights. If a trip could be NS or connecting based on availability, consider whether it will be quicker to pay the extra $2.50 or to refund the extra $2.50 (could vary depending on whether you keep a credit card number stored in your RR online account).
Importantly, you don't have to log in to change any itinerary, including an Award itinerary. (This changed at one point; not sure of current status.)
Last edited by ftnoob; May 24, 2012 at 12:04 pm
Reason: Remove unnecessary portions of copied post