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Why Does Booking a Second Award Raise the Price per Ticket?

July 10, 2016
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3 min read
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Why Does Booking a Second Award Raise the Price per Ticket?
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TPG reader Stacey emailed me to ask about booking flight awards:

I was trying to book an award using Aeroplan miles at the Market Fare rate; I got one price for a single seat, but when I tried to buy two seats (for the same flights), the price per ticket jumped by almost 35%. Why wouldn't two tickets just cost twice as much as one, and do you have any suggestions to get around this?”

Airline tickets are sold in different classes or fare buckets, which are essentially groups of fares that are priced similarly based on certain rules and restrictions. Most people are familiar with the distinction between economy, business and first, but those categories are further divided into different subcategories within each class. For example, Delta has over a dozen fare buckets that are classified as economy.

When one fare bucket sells out, the next ticket sold will come from a different (generally more expensive) bucket. Depending on how many seats you book, your purchase might straddle the line between two buckets, so some of your tickets will be priced higher than others even if you buy them at the same time. This can also happen with awards whether they're priced dynamically (like Aeroplan's Market Fare awards) or according to a fixed chart.

The bad news is that sometimes all of your seats will be drawn from the higher bucket even if there are seats left in the lower one. This appears to be what happened to Stacey: There was likely just one seat left at the lower price, and attempting to purchase two tickets made both of them more expensive (rather than just the second one).

If you sense this is happening, one solution is to buy each ticket separately. You won't be able to buy all your tickets at the best price, but at least you'll save on however many are still available in the lower bucket. Of course, there are some risks to splitting your reservation, such as greater exposure to change and cancellation fees. You'll have to evaluate whether the savings are worthwhile in each case.

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You can save by first booking seats in the lowest available bucket, and then booking the rest separately.

Airlines won't go out of their way to tell you how many seats are left in a given bucket, but there are a few tools you can use to extract more information. The United Airlines website features an Expert Mode that will show you available fare classes and even allow you to search based on those fare classes. You can use ExpertFlyer to see similar information for other airlines, and to set alerts when space opens up in a specific bucket.

Even if you don't use those tools, it's a good practice to check how the cost of airfare varies as you add passengers to a reservation. If you regularly travel with a group, that simple step should help you save money and miles in the long run.

For more suggestions, check out these posts:

If you have any other questions, please tweet me @thepointsguy, message me on Facebook or send me an email at info@thepointsguy.com.

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Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
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  • Intro Offer

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  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.