This is where paying the phone fee rather than making false entries in the booking systems of possibly two carriers and then hoping to get those corrected later is well worth the fee. It is even possible that the fee might be waived (but that is minor compared to the hassle of not traveling).

Alternatively, call an experienced TA whom you trust and know and pay their fee to handle this for you. TA's are generally able to place reservations on hold and then ticket at the same time. You will pay for the service, especially for the award booking, but again, this isn't something to mess with.