You’ve been working toward your dream trip for as long as you can remember. You set a goal, diligently saved your points or miles, and finally booked that coveted award ticket. Congratulations!
If you’re flying on the same airline where you redeemed your miles—for example, using AAdvantage miles to fly on American Airlines—the process is usually straightforward. While booking, you provided your details and selected your seats. This type of booking is often called “flying on the airline’s own metal”—a fancy way of saying you’re flying on their planes, not a partner airline’s.
But what if your dream award ticket involves a partner airline? Booking through one airline to fly with another adds a few extra steps to the process. Don’t worry—it’s worth it! Here’s how to make sure everything goes smoothly when booking a partner award ticket.
Step 1: Verify Your Award Ticket Is Finalized
When you book an award ticket through one airline to fly on a partner airline, their systems need to communicate with each other. In most cases, everything goes seamlessly. But there’s an important difference between having a reservation and having a ticket for your award flight.
Look for Your E-Ticket Number
Shortly after booking, you’ll receive a confirmation email from the program you used. This email will include a record locator—a six-character code to track your booking. But don’t stop there—check for an E-Ticket number. If it’s not listed, your reservation isn’t fully ticketed yet.
Contact the airline you booked through to confirm everything is processed. Airlines are getting better about including E-Ticket numbers in their emails, but it’s always worth double-checking.
Step 2: Update Your Personal Information
Once your award ticket is finalized, the next step is to update your personal information directly with the airline you’ll be flying on—this is the airline that operates your flight, not the one where you redeemed your miles.
Here’s what you need to do:
1. Log in to the Operating Airline’s Website
Use the record locator from your confirmation email. This six-character code was provided after booking your award ticket. Keep in mind, the partner airline may use a different locator code for their system.
Example: If you booked a Lufthansa flight using United MileagePlus miles, log in to Lufthansa’s website to manage your reservation.
Where to Find It: Look for the section that says “View and Amend Flight Details” or “Manage Booking” on the homepage of the operating airline’s website.
2. Enter Your Information
Once you click into the correct section, you’ll need to enter your last name and record locator (the booking code provided by the airline when you booked the award ticket). This will allow you to access your reservation.
Tip: The code from the booking airline (e.g., United) may be different from the one the operating airline (e.g., Lufthansa) uses. If the code doesn’t work, contact the operating airline and ask for their record locator.
3. Update Your Personal Information
Now that you’re in your reservation, make sure all your details are correct:
- Contact Information: Ensure your email and phone number are up to date.
- Travel Details: If applicable, add your passport number and Known Traveler Number (KTN) for TSA PreCheck eligibility.
Completing these updates for everyone on the reservation is essential. Missing details could delay check-in or cause issues at the airport.
Step 3: Choose Your Seats and Meals
Now that your reservation is displayed, it’s time to select your seats—and, in some cases, your meals. Many partner airlines allow seat selection at no extra cost, but there are exceptions. For instance, British Airways often charges even for award bookings in business class.
To select your seat:
- Navigate to the Seat Selection Section
Look for the section labeled “Advanced Seat Reservation” or “Choose Your Seats.” This is where you’ll select your preferred seat for your flight. - Selecting Seats
- Lufthansa’s seat map, for example, is interactive. It shows seats available for selection and those that may incur additional fees. Seats marked with a star are often premium options.
- If you’re flying on a basic economy award ticket, you may not have free seat selection. However, regular economy seats will be available for most award tickets at no extra charge.
- Confirm Your Seat Selection
Once you’ve chosen your seat, confirm the selection and make sure it’s reflected in your reservation. - Meal Selections
If your airline allows meal choices, now is the time to make your selection. Don’t wait until the last minute—especially if you have dietary preferences or specific meal needs!
Step 4: Write Down All Locator Codes
While managing your booking, you may notice that the partner airline uses a different record locator from the one provided by the booking airline. Write both down for future reference. It’ll save time if you need to check your reservation later.
Final Thoughts
Taking these steps ensures a smoother check-in experience, better seats, and fewer surprises on your trip. After all the effort it took to book your dream ticket, the last thing you want is to end up in a middle seat or scrambling at the airport.
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
Cover Photo By Triple Tree – http://www.airliners.net/photo/China-Eastern-Airlines/Boeing-777-39P-ER/2544054/L/, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link
