Booking flights with points can feel like unlocking a secret travel hack—until it doesn’t. If you’ve ever found the perfect award flight only to discover it’s not actually bookable, you’ve fallen into what’s known as phantom award space. And yes, it happened to me again.
This time, it involved the same program that tricked me before. You’d think I’d know better by now.
What Is Phantom Award Space?
A phantom award is a flight that shows up in search results when booking with points or miles but can’t actually be reserved. It may appear bookable on the airline’s website or through a partner, but when you attempt to finalize the reservation—either during seat selection or payment—it fails.
In some cases, the system lets you complete the booking, but you later receive confirmation for a different flight altogether. Either way, it’s a frustrating waste of time and (potentially) points.
When It Happened to Me (Again)
I needed to get to Barcelona. I was willing to settle for economy class because the amount of points needed for flights to Europe in business class is sky high. I began searching options from several East Coast hubs using tools like Point.me. Eventually, I found flights from Atlanta to Amsterdam on Delta, connecting to Barcelona on KLM, which were bookable through Flying Blue for 53,000 points per person.
That might seem steep for an economy award, but cash prices were around $1,300, giving me nearly 2.5 cents per point.
I already had some Flying Blue miles (thanks to a Bilt Rent Day transfer bonus) and topped off my balance using Citi ThankYou points—an easy choice since Flying Blue partners with all major transferable currencies.
Transfers were instant, so I logged into Air France’s site to book the flights.
System Error (Literally)
After selecting the flights and entering passenger information, I clicked “Continue”—and the site crashed with an error message. No confirmation. No reservation. Just two digital “employees” unplugging a laptop.
It was late at night, so I couldn’t call Air France until the next day. When I checked again in the morning, the award flights were gone.
Still, I called to be thorough. The rep found a reservation—just not the one I wanted. Instead of Atlanta to Barcelona, it was New York to Barcelona and required almost double the points.
I declined and kept searching.
Alternate Route to a Happy Ending
Now stuck with 106,000 Flying Blue points, I searched for alternatives. Eventually, I found availability on an Air France-operated flight in their Premium Economy cabin—for fewer miles than the original economy option on Delta.
Since these were Air France flights, I had no trouble booking through their site. The system worked. And although it wasn’t my original plan, I walked away with a decent redemption.
Still, it was yet another reminder that Flying Blue and Delta pairings are notorious for phantom space, and that I should’ve verified everything before transferring more points.
How to Avoid Phantom Award Space
If you want to skip ahead, click on any tip below:
- Cross-Reference Award Availability
- Use Award Search Tools (Carefully)
- Try a Dummy Booking
- Call the Airline Before Transferring
- Book Directly with the Operating Airline
- When It’s Safe to Check Without Transferring
Cross-Reference Award Availability
Before transferring points or booking, verify space on other partner sites. For example:
- Star Alliance: United, Air Canada, ANA
- Oneworld: Qantas, British Airways
- SkyTeam: Delta, Air France
If multiple partners show the same award, it’s more likely to be legitimate.
Use Award Search Tools (Carefully)
Tools like Point.me, Seats.aero, Roame.travel, and PointsYeah are great starting points. Just be aware they may show cached data. Seats.aero’s live search (Pro version) and Roame’s filtering features are especially helpful—but always confirm through the airline’s own site.
Try a Dummy Booking
Try proceeding through the booking process to see if you can reach the payment screen. This works best with programs that don’t require you to have points in your account to search. If you can get close to the final step, it’s probably real.
Call the Airline Before Transferring
Not the fastest method, but it can be the safest. Ask a rep if the flight is actually available and if they can put it on hold. If they can’t hold it, consider having them stay on the line while you book online after transferring points.
Book Directly with the Operating Airline
If possible, book through the airline that’s actually operating the flight. For example, if you’re flying Singapore Airlines, use KrisFlyer rather than a partner like United or Air Canada. While award pricing may be higher, your chances of encountering phantom space are significantly reduced.
In fact, many airline programs reserve extra award inventory for their own members. This can lead to better availability—even when partner sites show nothing. Sometimes people mistake this for phantom space, but if the flight is bookable with points through the operating airline’s program, it’s not phantom—it’s just exclusive access.
When It’s Safe to Check Without Transferring
In my case, I already had the Flying Blue points, so verifying availability didn’t cost me anything. However, if you’re working with transferable currencies like American Express or Chase, it’s crucial to verify before transferring those points. Once transferred, they’re usually stuck.
Final Thought
Phantom award space is a risk that comes with the territory when using miles, especially for partner bookings. While it’s impossible to avoid entirely, you can take steps to protect yourself—by verifying availability, calling to confirm, and understanding how different loyalty programs interact.
And maybe, just maybe, learn from people like me who have already made the mistake more than once.
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
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