Should I book award seats or paid seats first?
Mar 8, 2015, 5:08 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 13
Should I book award seats or paid seats first?
I'll be booking 11 seats for a family vacation in December to Punta Cana. 7 seats for 4 adults and 3 small children would definitely be on the JetBlue nonstop. I Think I'll have enough miles on JetBlue for 3 reward seats and pay cash for 4. Should I book the cash seats first or the reward seats? I'm not sure if or how the nature of inventory usage has an effect on the price in miles or cash for the next ticket sold? I have 175k spg point, 55k delta, and 500k Marriott points to book the remaining 4 tickets for the childless couples.
Mar 8, 2015, 7:09 pm
#2
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
I would buy with points first.
Try pricing 7 seats for cash as well as 3 and 4 just to see how the prices shift. If they're all the same numbers then odds are buying the points tickets won't push the fare up for the cash seats. But, as a general rule, increased fares equals a lower value for points so if you do buy the cash tickets first and then the fare goes up the points required is likely to increase disproportionately.
The SPG, DL and MR points won't help for the JetBlue flight so hopefully those passengers are wiling to go another route. Or pay cash.
Try pricing 7 seats for cash as well as 3 and 4 just to see how the prices shift. If they're all the same numbers then odds are buying the points tickets won't push the fare up for the cash seats. But, as a general rule, increased fares equals a lower value for points so if you do buy the cash tickets first and then the fare goes up the points required is likely to increase disproportionately.
The SPG, DL and MR points won't help for the JetBlue flight so hopefully those passengers are wiling to go another route. Or pay cash.