Phantom Award Area: What’s it and methods to keep away from it

Think about you checked the rewards location daily for weeks or months. You lastly discovered the award slot you had been in search of and transferred the awards to e book your award. However while you attempt to e book you get an error message as a result of there are literally no award areas accessible to your itinerary. Congratulations, you will have simply been performed by “Phantom Award Area”.

Phantom award area happens when award seats seem on-line however usually are not really bookable. This subject typically happens when the associate airline exhibits incorrect stock. Or maybe the award area was accessible in some unspecified time in the future however received booked and the system hasn't up to date to mirror it but.

Phantom award area is likely one of the most irritating elements of the world of award journey, particularly as a result of transfers from versatile award packages are often irreversible. On this information, I’ll focus on some steps you may take earlier than transferring your awards so you may keep away from getting scammed by Phantom Award Area.

Why do you have to care about Phantom Award Area?

Earlier than we go any additional, let me clarify why it’s best to even care about Phantom Award Area. Though it’s turning into uncommon, it nonetheless exists. The phantom award area largely impacts individuals who wish to switch rewards from a loyalty program, akin to American Categorical Membership Rewards factors, Marriott Bonvoy factors or Chase Final Rewards factors, to an airline to e book a associate award.

Let's say you wish to switch Amex factors to Avianca LifeMiles to e book a United Airways flight. You'll doubtless do that as a result of the airline you wish to fly with isn’t a switch associate of the forex you're attempting to redeem or as a result of you may e book at a decrease fee by way of a associate airline loyalty program.

However the issue arises while you switch your award and may't e book the flights you need. You often can't reverse a switch, so your rewards are caught in that program. Transferable rewards are useful as a result of you may switch them to many various airline and lodge packages. However, when you switch them to a selected program, you’re restricted to redeeming them inside that program, which naturally makes them much less useful.

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Guide direct when potential

The best method to keep away from the danger of phantom award area is to e book immediately with the working provider.

The basis of the phantom award area drawback is usually a communication error between the loyalty program's reserving engine and the associate airline's stock administration system. Due to this fact, you’ll often discover essentially the most correct info on an airline's personal web site.

One other drawback is that some loyalty packages reserve rewards area for his or her members. For instance, Lufthansa usually doesn’t launch top notch award area for associate packages till roughly 15 days earlier than departure. In the meantime, Singapore Airways doesn’t usually launch long-haul premium-cabin award area to its companions.

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Do your homework on the airline

Some airways are recognized to indicate extra fantasy award area than others, so it's essential to familiarize your self with this system you're attempting to e book by way of. For instance, American Airways AAdvantage, United MileagePlus and Singapore KrisFlyer are a few of the worst offenders for exhibiting up Phantom awards.

It’s equally essential to analysis the airline you’re hoping to fly with. For instance, as a result of Singapore KrisFlyer companions are recognized for not releasing long-haul premium-cabin awards, it’s best to know that in case you see it on one other airline's web site, chances are high it's a mistake. .

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Attempt going to the checkout web page

The best method to verify if the award area you see is actual is to undergo the reserving course of.

Whereas this technique isn't foolproof, you'll typically get an error message earlier than the checkout web page if reward area isn’t accessible. So, if you may get to the funds web page, there's an excellent probability you're taking a look at precise award area you may e book.

Simply remember that some packages will solely allow you to attain this level when you have sufficient miles (or a minimum of an excellent portion) in your account to e book a reward.

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seize your prize

Some airways help you put award tickets on maintain earlier than reserving. It is best to take into account doing this if the chance arises, because it typically signifies that the airline will be capable to decide up award tickets. This additionally offers you extra time to switch transferable rewards to your airline loyalty account.

Applications that help you manage associate rewards embrace Air France-KLM Flying Blue, American AAdvantage, Lufthansa Miles & Extra, Turkish Airways Miles & Smiles, and Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership. Simply remember that a maintain doesn't at all times assure that the area will probably be accessible, so it’s best to attempt to e book an award as quickly as potential after it's positioned on maintain.

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Cross-check award availability

Some of the essential steps to verify award area is to look for a similar flight by way of one other associate. If the award may be booked by way of a number of associate packages, chances are high the award area you discovered is respectable.

Now we have detailed guides on one of the best web sites for exploring rewards availability with every main alliance:

If in case you have a paid ExpertFlyer (owned by TPG's guardian firm, Pink Ventures) account, you may additionally be capable to discover and verify in rewards places with the service.

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Name the Frequent Flyer Program

Maybe the most secure choice is to name the customer support desk for the mileage program you propose to e book with and manually affirm that the award area you discovered on-line exists earlier than transferring the award to this system. Sure or No.

Nonetheless, when you have transferred transferable rewards to this system however are then unable to e book an accessible area on-line, calling might also assist. Generally, you might be able to e book an award over the cellphone that you could't e book on-line. However even when the award area you see on-line is definitely fictitious, you may request that the agent verify if the working provider can manually open the award listing and honor what you see on-line. If the agent or working provider is reluctant, you may ask if the mileage program presents a comparable choice on its steel.

It’s potential – even doubtless – that these requests will probably be time-consuming and unsuccessful. However TPG director Andrea Rotondo as soon as efficiently satisfied United MileagePlus to open business-class award area when this system featured an award area operated by Austrian Airways. A United spokesperson supplied TPG this recommendation for purchasers who could expertise the same drawback:

United presents an unlimited choice of award flights operated by each United and associate airways and members can e book these flights by way of united.com and our cell app. Award availability is consistently altering as prospects e book flights. If a buyer transfers their miles to United, our Contact Middle might help affirm which awards are nonetheless accessible and assist them discover a substitute for utilizing their miles.

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Ask to your switch to be refunded

Let's say you've already transferred your awards and have decided that there isn’t a method to redeem them to your initially supposed ticket. In that case, you may ask your bank card firm and/or mileage program to reverse the switch.

The probabilities of reversing the switch are extraordinarily low, so don't be stunned if it doesn't work. That mentioned, it has occurred – most just lately, to some Aeroplan members who by chance transferred awards to e book a fare that Aeroplan didn’t honor – so it doesn't damage to ask. Be well mannered, however current your case as greatest you may and display that the airline made a transparent error that brought on you to be unable to make use of the transferred awards.

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floor degree

Phantom awards are one of the annoying elements of the area awards journey world. Nonetheless, with somewhat effort, you may affirm whether or not the seats you wish to e book can be found and save your hard-earned cash from getting caught in a program you don't use.