Rules and strategies for Award flights with repositioning flights
Aug 31, 23, 9:53 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Minnesota
Programs: AA EXP; United 1K, Delta, IHG Plat Amb, PE, Marriott/Hilton Gold
Posts: 699
Rules and strategies for Award flights with repositioning flights
Is there a wiki or best practices thread for booking award flights and combining with other/repositioning flights in same PNR? It's become a lot more complicated and hit or miss since the changes this past spring.
I know there are a lot of comments under the individual airline award threads but is there one place that covers things like
Is the longhaul or tough to get leg AA, Partner? Paid or award?
Is that flight on Hold, purchased, or do you need to do everything start to finish with an agent to keep it on the same PNR? (some people seem to say you can add with the right agent but I have never had good luck doing that even before the recent changes to awards.
Can you add a paid flight? Another award flight? Extend the award to cover the repositioning or additioonal flight? If so, when (you used to be able to extend it when availability came available but doesnt seem like you can do that anymore?)
Is it agent dependent? Do we need to understand certain rules or words for agents to key off of so that we dont have a misunderstanding becauses we use the wrong terms?
Tips, Strategies, etc. Regardless of airlines involved OR how some partners may be unique
I have been digging through the partner award threads and there is some repetition but it is kind of all over the place and hard to figure ouot what is unique to those airlines and what is global
TIA
I know there are a lot of comments under the individual airline award threads but is there one place that covers things like
Is the longhaul or tough to get leg AA, Partner? Paid or award?
Is that flight on Hold, purchased, or do you need to do everything start to finish with an agent to keep it on the same PNR? (some people seem to say you can add with the right agent but I have never had good luck doing that even before the recent changes to awards.
Can you add a paid flight? Another award flight? Extend the award to cover the repositioning or additioonal flight? If so, when (you used to be able to extend it when availability came available but doesnt seem like you can do that anymore?)
Is it agent dependent? Do we need to understand certain rules or words for agents to key off of so that we dont have a misunderstanding becauses we use the wrong terms?
Tips, Strategies, etc. Regardless of airlines involved OR how some partners may be unique
I have been digging through the partner award threads and there is some repetition but it is kind of all over the place and hard to figure ouot what is unique to those airlines and what is global
TIA
Aug 31, 23, 4:23 pm
#2
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 507
Is there a wiki or best practices thread for booking award flights and combining with other/repositioning flights in same PNR? It's become a lot more complicated and hit or miss since the changes this past spring.
I know there are a lot of comments under the individual airline award threads but is there one place that covers things like
Is the longhaul or tough to get leg AA, Partner? Paid or award?
Is that flight on Hold, purchased, or do you need to do everything start to finish with an agent to keep it on the same PNR? (some people seem to say you can add with the right agent but I have never had good luck doing that even before the recent changes to awards.
Can you add a paid flight? Another award flight? Extend the award to cover the repositioning or additioonal flight? If so, when (you used to be able to extend it when availability came available but doesnt seem like you can do that anymore?)
Is it agent dependent? Do we need to understand certain rules or words for agents to key off of so that we dont have a misunderstanding becauses we use the wrong terms?
Tips, Strategies, etc. Regardless of airlines involved OR how some partners may be unique
I have been digging through the partner award threads and there is some repetition but it is kind of all over the place and hard to figure ouot what is unique to those airlines and what is global
TIA
I know there are a lot of comments under the individual airline award threads but is there one place that covers things like
Is the longhaul or tough to get leg AA, Partner? Paid or award?
Is that flight on Hold, purchased, or do you need to do everything start to finish with an agent to keep it on the same PNR? (some people seem to say you can add with the right agent but I have never had good luck doing that even before the recent changes to awards.
Can you add a paid flight? Another award flight? Extend the award to cover the repositioning or additioonal flight? If so, when (you used to be able to extend it when availability came available but doesnt seem like you can do that anymore?)
Is it agent dependent? Do we need to understand certain rules or words for agents to key off of so that we dont have a misunderstanding becauses we use the wrong terms?
Tips, Strategies, etc. Regardless of airlines involved OR how some partners may be unique
I have been digging through the partner award threads and there is some repetition but it is kind of all over the place and hard to figure ouot what is unique to those airlines and what is global
TIA
I called the EXP line over the weekend to check to see if I could pay additional miles and upgrade into F space on a JAL award. It turns out there was no space, and then I asked if I could change my positioning flights (AA flights). The agent said yes, because this was a partner award. When it turned out there was no availability there, I asked about dropping those segments and just buying a paid ticket instead. He proceeded to offer me booking the paid ticket into the existing PNR without me even asking (and correctly noted it would be better that way to avoid having to re-check bags). I should have gotten his name if the question ever came up again.
Aug 31, 23, 5:06 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,720
It seems this is highly dependent on finding a knowledgeable agent.
I called the EXP line over the weekend to check to see if I could pay additional miles and upgrade into F space on a JAL award. It turns out there was no space, and then I asked if I could change my positioning flights (AA flights). The agent said yes, because this was a partner award. When it turned out there was no availability there, I asked about dropping those segments and just buying a paid ticket instead. He proceeded to offer me booking the paid ticket into the existing PNR without me even asking (and correctly noted it would be better that way to avoid having to re-check bags). I should have gotten his name if the question ever came up again.
I called the EXP line over the weekend to check to see if I could pay additional miles and upgrade into F space on a JAL award. It turns out there was no space, and then I asked if I could change my positioning flights (AA flights). The agent said yes, because this was a partner award. When it turned out there was no availability there, I asked about dropping those segments and just buying a paid ticket instead. He proceeded to offer me booking the paid ticket into the existing PNR without me even asking (and correctly noted it would be better that way to avoid having to re-check bags). I should have gotten his name if the question ever came up again.
Aug 31, 23, 6:33 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Minnesota
Programs: AA EXP; United 1K, Delta, IHG Plat Amb, PE, Marriott/Hilton Gold
Posts: 699
I've tried multiple times over the years and usually hear no for an answer. It is good to know that it can be done with the right agent
Sep 1, 23, 7:47 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Minnesota
Programs: AA EXP; United 1K, Delta, IHG Plat Amb, PE, Marriott/Hilton Gold
Posts: 699
It seems this is highly dependent on finding a knowledgeable agent.
I called the EXP line over the weekend to check to see if I could pay additional miles and upgrade into F space on a JAL award. It turns out there was no space, and then I asked if I could change my positioning flights (AA flights). The agent said yes, because this was a partner award. When it turned out there was no availability there, I asked about dropping those segments and just buying a paid ticket instead. He proceeded to offer me booking the paid ticket into the existing PNR without me even asking (and correctly noted it would be better that way to avoid having to re-check bags). I should have gotten his name if the question ever came up again.
I called the EXP line over the weekend to check to see if I could pay additional miles and upgrade into F space on a JAL award. It turns out there was no space, and then I asked if I could change my positioning flights (AA flights). The agent said yes, because this was a partner award. When it turned out there was no availability there, I asked about dropping those segments and just buying a paid ticket instead. He proceeded to offer me booking the paid ticket into the existing PNR without me even asking (and correctly noted it would be better that way to avoid having to re-check bags). I should have gotten his name if the question ever came up again.
Even before the changes this spring, I was not able to get a repositioning flight added to an award ticket if it was paid.
I had been able to get an award flight added if the same mileage applied since they allowed origination city changes. Not sure that would even work now
