Switching award instruments?
Mar 4, 2011 | 10:28 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2006
Programs: UA, bmi, AA, CO, DL, B6, AMEX, Hertz, Most Hotels
Posts: 3,042
Switching award instruments?
Apologies if this topic has been previously covered but my searches came up empty.
Before my travel date, I will be in possession of award certs that are not currently in my account (both a MegaBonus 1-4 cert & the annual Visa Cat 5 cert)
So, if I make an award reservation now (using points) at a property that is set to jump to a higher category next week, will I later be able to retain that lower category award but switch the payment instrument from a points reservation to one using an award cert?
Before my travel date, I will be in possession of award certs that are not currently in my account (both a MegaBonus 1-4 cert & the annual Visa Cat 5 cert)
So, if I make an award reservation now (using points) at a property that is set to jump to a higher category next week, will I later be able to retain that lower category award but switch the payment instrument from a points reservation to one using an award cert?
Mar 5, 2011 | 10:58 pm
#2
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: AVP
Programs: gold, titanium, platinum and diamond, but still no giraffe.
Posts: 330
my search-fu is on tonight.... 
covered in this thread...
Premier Visa annual cat 1-5 cert reservation
covered in this thread...
Premier Visa annual cat 1-5 cert reservation
Mar 6, 2011 | 4:05 pm
#3
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Mid-Atlantic
Programs: AA Plat, UA Silver, DL Silver, Marriott Titanium, etc.
Posts: 4,214
From the cited thread, the terminology is that you don't want your 'certificate attached" yet. I haven't done this for the free night certs but I have done this for 7-night reservations from a travel package. I had to (because of a pending major devaluation) make a reservation 11 months in advance, didn't know for sure which property I wanted to use it at, so was actually allowed to make reservations at three diferent properties without the certificate attached, then when my plans were settled I called and had the two extra res. canceled and then had the remaining reservation attached.
Caution: A fairly significant percentage of the Customer Service folks do not know how to do this, and, in this case you need to get them to check with a rep with more experience or alternatively hang up and call again.
Caution: A fairly significant percentage of the Customer Service folks do not know how to do this, and, in this case you need to get them to check with a rep with more experience or alternatively hang up and call again.