Can I Add a Paid Positioning Flight to an International Award Ticket?
"Reader Questions" are answered twice a week by TPG Senior Points & Miles Contributor Ethan Steinberg.
Unless you live near a major international airport like New York (JFK), Chicago (ORD) or Los Angeles (LAX), it can be difficult to string together an international award redemption. Not only do you have to find seats on the long-haul flights, but you'll also need at least one flight within the US to get you to an international "gateway" airport. TPG reader Jo wants to know if he can add a paid positioning flight to an international award ticket ...
[pullquote source="TPG READER JO "]Is it possible to add a paid positioning flight to an international award ticket with a partner airline? For example, can I add a paid United flight from Boise (BOI) to San Francisco (SFO) as part of an ANA award ticket from SFO to Tokyo Narita (NRT)? [/pullquote]
There are a few different elements to this question, but let's start with the cheapest one: In many cases, you can add a domestic leg to a partner award ticket for free, assuming there's saver space on the domestic flight you want. If you're trying to book an award ticket with Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan from Tokyo (NRT) to Seattle (SEA), you'll automatically see options that include a long-haul segment on JAL and a domestic connection on Alaska Airlines.
You can also try searching segment by segment and calling an agent to book. Almost all loyalty programs will let you do this, though some (like United, sorry Jo!) might try to charge you for two separate flights.
One way or another, though, Jo is going to need to get to San Francisco to start his trip. So why does it matter if the positioning flight is "linked" to the long-haul flight? The short answer is that if the positioning flight is delayed, causing you to miss the international flight, you'd be out of luck. This almost happened to me on my first major award redemption, when I used two positioning flights (one from Chicago to New York and another from New York to Frankfurt) to book a cheaper Lufthansa first-class award. My day started with a three-hour ground stop at O'Hare, which almost caused me to miss my flight to Frankfurt and my Lufthansa award. If that had happened, as all three tickets were booked separately, I would have had to pay out of pocket to keep my vacation on track.
Now for the bad news: Even though Jo is going to have to book a separate positioning flight to San Francisco (either with points or cash), most airlines don't have a mechanism to add a paid flight to an award ticket like this. AA's reservation system technically allows AAgents to sell you a paid flight within the same reservation number as your award flight, but many phone agents don't know this feature exists so you might have to hang up and call again. Your best option is to call in and ask that your two separate reservations be reissued under a single reservation number. This is highly YMMV and not guaranteed to work, but certainly worth a try.
Your other option, which is far from ideal if you have limited vacation time, is to build in an extra-large buffer between your positioning flight and international award ticket. For some people this means flying in a full day before, while others might be comfortable arriving in the morning and departing in the evening. After my harrowing experience at ORD, I need a minimum layover of 5 hours to do this comfortably.
Bottom Line
Positioning flights aren't just useful for people who live near small airports. During the four years that I was "based" out of Chicago O'Hare, I would frequently hop on short, cheap flights to New York (JFK) or Los Angeles (LAX) to find the award seats I wanted. Not only do those airports get bigger and better aircraft (read: A380s), but you also get at least three times better odds of finding the award seat you want. Cathay Pacific flies one daily nonstop to O'Hare, but 3 each to LAX and JFK, so because I was willing to take a positioning flight I had 7 possible flights instead of one.
Of course, if you're booking an expensive international award ticket, the MOST important thing is not to miss the flight! Even if you have to leave a day earlier or take a more expensive positioning flight, consider it an insurance policy against the random and unpredictable delays that so often plague larger airports in the US.
Thanks for the question, Jo, and if you’re a TPG reader who’d like us to answer a question of your own, tweet us at @thepointsguy, message us on Facebook or email us at info@thepointsguy.com.
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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
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- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
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- 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.
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- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | 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. |
| 4X | 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. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
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.