Combine award and non-aware/revenue seats on same PNR?
 

I am looking for some warm places to go in March for spring break with some college friends. I have lots of miles that I was hoping to use for my flight, especially because fares can be pretty high during that time of year.

Is there a way to purchase some tickets using miles and some without miles and still be on the same reservation number? If I were not to use miles, I could purchase my ticket and all my friends' tickets and we would all be able to enjoy priority access, free checked bags, access to MCE, etc. But I'm not sure if we can all be on the same PNR if there is a mix of award and non-award fares.

Anyone know?

This has been discussed a fair bit in various places, and is somewhat inconclusive. In the end, some (few) have said that they have had it done. Many, many more have been told that it is not possible. So, while it may have happened in some few cases, it seems that some "Macbethian" magic was involved that most agents don't know how to do. The realistic answer, AFAIK, is No.

By the way, I searched {+paid +award} and found a thread on this exact topic from last year. AFAIK, nothing has changed, and certainly questions on the same topic could be asked in existing threads rather than starting new ones which fragments information

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...rture-tax.html

Cheers.

The thread you referred to, while it is about combining award tickets with non-award tickets, the individual is looking to combine a paid segment with a non-paid segment. I am simply looking to know if one passenger has an award and one does not, if they can both enjoy priority access benefits?

I am sorry that you think this thread is identical to the one you listed above, but it is not.

Well, you did ask about combining things on the same PNR, so it really is the same topic. Sharing benefits while on different PNRs (which you're asking about now) is a different issue. Many have reported being able to do that, but it is not a guarantee. But, yes, it is a different question.

As well, I also answered your question in addition to pointing you to the existing thread on the topic :)

Cheers.

Not sure if this is what you are asking but I think I am close

I book a revenue ticket for myself and award tickets out of my account for my two kids; I then call to Link the PNR's.

As for benefits, they always are able to sit with me in "preferred" seats but only after I Link the PNR. Also, IIRC, I had to get these preferred seats on the phone. I don't think that I am able to do it online

Other benefits such as security, its usually they are with me and PNR doesn't come into play. Free baggage has been allowed when I link as well. YMMV

I've had IRROPs as well and my kids were always put with me on whatever flight we were rebooked on. This was done automatically. Now that said and done, during IRROPS, I make this clear that they are on a linked PNR.

again YMMV

You can (agent knowledge provided) have both an award and paid booking on the same PNR provided all passengers are booked in the same booking code on each flight. If different booking codes are involved, then you do have to have separate PNRs.

For example, you both are booked in T SFO-JFK on an award, but then pay and are in G JFK-LHR, it can theoretically be done. But if only one you books in T on an award and the other person pays an H fare, the system will require a second PNR.

Have you actually done this? Are there specific things to tell the agent to do to make this work? A few (very few) people have indicated that this "can" happen, but no one has been able to come forth with specifics, unfortunately. A vastly larger number of people have been told that it can't be done.

Cheers.

It will probably be easiest to have the bookings "linked" - the OSI (Other Supplementary Information) process is actually called "TCP" (To Complete Party) with notes in each PNR linking them in case of irrops, etc.

You can see the OSI codes here, including the TCP annotations.

Thank you for the link! I've never had a request to link PNRs before, but it's nice to know how now and the entire page was a fascinating read.

No worries. I know you've probably seen the AA Rule 80 / 240 page (even though they are not rules, it's got some nice TA and pax stuff). (I always know I have a knowledgeable AA agent when I can walk up and say "well, that cancellation will make me miss my flight; can you 240 - or 80 - me over to <fill in flight I've found a seat on here> - while everyone thunders off landside to the ticket counter.)

In my airline days as a supervisor I did this a few times. I would then have to call ticketing and have it ticketed manually. The key in the PNR was to put an ARUNK between the award and paid segments, even if it was not necessary. An agent would have to be familiar with native SABRE today to do this.

Combine award and revenue seats on same PNR?
 

On a cruise travel forum, someone commented they were able to book both an award seat (for one segment) and a revenue seat (for a connecting segment) on the same PNR. The carriers cited were AA and IB. The person said she was able to accomplish this with a phone agent.

Is this indeed possible on AA? I usually fly United and have been told it isn't possible to have an award and revenue booking on a single PNR.

It is indeed possible but it can be difficult to find agent willing to do it.

Thanks for the response.

I primarily fly United and Star Alliance carriers, and it didn't seem possible to construct an award/revenue single PNR. I had posted a similar question on the United forum months ago, and several of the very experienced forum members said it couldn't be done.

Good to know that it "might" be possible on AA.