The Risk Of Booking Airline Awards With Partner Airlines

Most people who redeem frequent flyer miles for an airline ticket initially do so to travel on the airline that sponsors the program. For example, SkyMiles members book a flight on Delta, AAdvantage members book flights on American, and so on.

Understanding the Benefits of Partner Airlines

Once you start learning more about using your miles and points, you soon discover that the best redemptions often aren’t with the sponsor airline but with their alliance or non-alliance partners. At first, this concept can be hard to grasp; I remember the first time I told my father he could use his SkyMiles for a flight on Korean Air—it took him a little while to “get it.”

To take advantage of this, you first need to learn the basics of airline alliances. After that, it helps to get familiar with award charts (or, in the case of airlines that no longer publish them, understand what typical award costs are). For those who don’t want to spend the time learning this, award booking services are also an option.

Why Partner Awards Can Offer Great Value

The reward for booking an award with a partner airline can be substantial, whether by saving thousands or even tens of thousands of miles, creatively using transferable credit card points on otherwise unavailable airlines, or flying on an airline with a superior product. However, this process does come with additional risks.

The Risks of Partner Award Bookings

When you book an award through one program for a ticket on a different airline, you’re adding extra layers to the process. As is often the case, the more parties involved in a transaction, the higher the risk of something going wrong. Every additional step increases the likelihood of a problem.

There’s a chance that the award might never get ticketed in the first place. Once it is ticketed, you’ll need to work with the airline you’re flying on to coordinate details like seat assignments, baggage, and personal information. For example, to use Pre-Check lanes in the U.S., you’ll need to add your Known Traveler Number (KTN) on the operating carrier’s website (just having it on file with the airline where you booked the ticket isn’t enough). The same goes for your frequent flyer number if you’re eligible for benefits like seat upgrades—assuming the booking airline allows you to attach a different airline’s frequent flyer number to the reservation.

And this is all before your trip even begins. But what happens if the operating airline cancels your flight altogether?

A Real-Life Example: My Experience with Flying Blue and Delta

Here’s an example: I once booked a flight to Orlando from Germany using miles. Although Delta operated the flight, I booked it through Flying Blue (Air France and KLM’s frequent flyer program). Flying Blue only required 72,000 miles for a business class ticket, whereas booking directly with Delta would have cost 320,000 SkyMiles. Flying Blue is also a transfer partner of all the major credit card programs (American Express, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo) and Marriott Bonvoy, so it’s relatively easy to accrue points for an award flight.

That was the reward of booking through a partner airline program. Now, here’s the risk.

When Cancellations Disrupt Partner Award Itineraries

Delta removed our flight from Frankfurt to Detroit from the schedule for 19 days.

Fortunately, when we received the cancellation notice from Flying Blue, we were also given a substitute itinerary connecting in New York-JFK. The new schedule was similar, and we’d arrive home a bit earlier.

Attempting to Change Our New Itinerary

Since Delta had canceled our original flights, I thought it was worth seeing if they’d allow us to switch to flights I preferred. I had to call Flying Blue to make any changes, as I’d booked the ticket through their program.

I put my phone on speaker and waited to speak with someone. Over time, I’ve developed a love-hate relationship with Flying Blue’s hold music. It’s grating at first, but after hearing it repeated 50–100 times, it starts to develop a zen-like calming effect.

When I finally got through, I explained that our original flight had been canceled and asked if we could fly through Atlanta instead of JFK. Delta flights from Atlanta to Orlando are almost every hour, so we’d feel more confident about making it home in the event of operational issues (like a snowstorm in New York in December).

The Response from Flying Blue

The agent’s response?

“These are the flights that Delta provided as the alternate, so that’s what we have to offer.”

I asked if there was any way Flying Blue could request a change from Delta.

“Sorry, no. All we can offer is what they tell us is available. You do have a three-hour connection in New York, so if there’s a delay, you should still make your flight.”

Could I have tried the “HUCA” method (Hang Up, Call Again)? Sure. But that would mean waiting another 30 minutes, with the possibility of getting the same answer. By then, I figured it wasn’t worth any further time investment. I’d tried and received an answer. That’s what any regular traveler would do.

Delta’s Attitude Towards Partners and Passengers

Maybe Flying Blue had no option but to offer us what Delta provided. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is how Delta handles arrangements with their partners, even ones within the SkyTeam Alliance. Delta sometimes comes across as an airline that sees itself as a cut above the rest.

I also knew that if there was a weather delay in New York on our travel date, Delta would likely offer a travel waiver, allowing us to avoid JFK. Fortunately, we flew to NYC as scheduled—on what was, in my opinion, Delta’s least impressive transatlantic product. Delta has since retrofitted these planes with newer Delta One seats.

Final Thoughts

Things can go wrong with any award booking. But when dealing with an award on the program’s airline, the issues are generally easier to resolve because they have more flexibility when it’s all within one company.

However, with partner airlines, the situation becomes more complicated. In my example, I can’t really blame Flying Blue; they didn’t cancel my flight—Delta did. Flying Blue can’t create award availability on Delta’s flights to Atlanta just because I requested it. Had I booked the award flight through Delta, I probably would have had a better chance at securing the flights I wanted. However, that would’ve meant paying the 320,000 miles they asked for a one-way Delta One flight.

Booking award tickets with partner airlines can be risky, primarily due to the communication challenges between the award program and the operating airline. Whether it’s a technological hiccup during booking or a lack of accountability when things go wrong, this is the price you pay for securing an award ticket that might otherwise be out of reach.

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