Originally Posted by
skiladyldp
When I tried to put in some made dates to check flight times it seems as though United won't let me book with Miles and I have enough miles.
What makes you think that?
Originally Posted by
skiladyldp
I tried to do another itinerary that would have us fly to Rome From SFO, take the bus tour and end Palermo, then fly to Rome and stay a few days, then fly home to San Francisco but it won't let me book it.
You're going to have a hard time flying from Palermo to Rome on United miles. No United partner flies that route, and it doesn't seem possible to do it even with a connection, presumably due to rules about connecting outside of the country on a domestic Italian flight.
Originally Posted by
skiladyldp
So, another possibility is, can I book an award trip that goes from San Francisco to Rome, return Rome to San Francisco and use Air Italia to go from Palermo to Rome? I could spend a couple of days in Rome before leaving for home. Being a US citizen is this allowed?
Yes, but you'll need to pay for the Alitalia ticket with some other currency (cash, Delta SkyMiles, etc.) You won't be able to include it on your main ticket. Ryanair and Vueling also fly this route, if you'd like a low-cost carrier.
Originally Posted by
skiladyldp
So to summarize, I want to use my miles to book a trip that starts in San Francisco, fly to Rome, then return from Palermo to San Francisco which can include a stopover in Rome before returning home. Thank you to anyone that help me clear up my confusion.
You can book a roundtrip flight from San Francisco to Rome, and then book Alitalia separately to get from Palermo back to Rome. Or, you can book a flight from San Francisco to Rome, from Palermo to a non-Italian destination in Europe, and then back to San Francisco.