Understanding phantom award space: What it is and how to navigate around it

Imagine tirelessly searching for award space for weeks. Finally, you discover the elusive award space you've been waiting for and transfer your rewards to secure it. But then, an error pops up, revealing that the award space isn’t really there for your desired itinerary. Congratulations, you’ve just encountered "phantom award space."

Phantom award space refers to instances where award seats are visible online but cannot actually be booked. This problem can arise when partner airlines display incorrect inventory, or if the award space was available previously but has since been booked, leaving the system outdated.

Phantom award space is one of the most exasperating challenges in the world of award travel, especially since transfers from flexible rewards programs are often final. In this guide, I’ll outline steps you can take to avoid falling victim to phantom award space before you transfer your rewards.

Reasons to pay attention to phantom award space

Before we get started, let’s discuss why phantom award space should matter to you. While it’s becoming less common, it still happens. Phantom award space primarily impacts those wishing to transfer rewards from loyalty programs like American Express Membership Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, or Chase Ultimate Rewards to airlines for partner awards.

Imagine you want to transfer Amex points to Avianca LifeMiles to book a flight with United Airlines. You might do this because your preferred airline isn’t a direct transfer partner with your rewards currency, or you want to book through a partner airline program at a better rate.

However, issues arise if you transfer your rewards and find yourself unable to book your desired flights. Transfers are usually irreversible, leaving your rewards stuck in that program. Transferable rewards are valuable because they can be sent to various airline and hotel programs, but once transferred, your options for redemption are confined to that specific program, diminishing their overall value.

Whenever possible, make your bookings directly

The simplest way to mitigate the risk of phantom award space is to book directly with the airline operating the flight.

The issue of phantom award space often stems from a miscommunication between a loyalty program's booking system and the inventory management of the partner airline. Hence, you'll typically find the most reliable information on the airline's official website.

Another challenge arises when certain loyalty programs hold back award space exclusively for their members. For example, Lufthansa tends to restrict first-class award availability to partner programs until about 15 days before departure, while Singapore Airlines often doesn't release long-haul premium-cabin award space to its partners.

Research the airline thoroughly

Certain airlines are notorious for displaying more phantom award space than others, so it’s crucial to understand the program you intend to book with. For instance, American Airlines AAdvantage, United MileagePlus, and Singapore KrisFlyer are some of the primary culprits for listing phantom awards.

It's crucial to investigate the airline you plan to fly with. For example, since Singapore KrisFlyer is known for not making long-haul premium-cabin awards available to partners, if you spot it on another airline's website, it's likely an error.

Try to reach the checkout page

One of the simplest methods to verify the authenticity of the award space you see is to proceed through the booking process.

While this tactic isn't guaranteed, you'll typically encounter an error message before reaching the checkout if the award space is unavailable. So, if you can make it to the payment page, it’s likely that the award space is legitimate and bookable.

Just keep in mind that some programs will only allow you to reach this stage if you have enough miles in your account to book the award (or at least a substantial amount).

Reserve your award

Certain airlines allow you to place award tickets on hold before finalizing your booking. Taking advantage of this option can be wise, as it often indicates that the airline will be able to ticket the award. Additionally, it provides you with more time to transfer your rewards to your airline loyalty account.

Airlines that permit you to hold partner awards include Air France-KLM Flying Blue, American AAdvantage, Lufthansa Miles & More, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles, and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. Keep in mind that holding an award doesn't guarantee it will remain available, so it's best to book as soon as you can after placing it on hold.

Verify award availability across different sources

A crucial step in verifying award space is to check the same flight through another partner. If the award can be booked via multiple partner programs, it’s likely that the award space you discovered is valid.

We have comprehensive guides on the best websites for searching award availability across all major alliances:

• Top websites for finding Oneworld award availability
• Best sites for searching Star Alliance award availability
• Optimal websites for locating SkyTeam award availability

If you hold a paid ExpertFlyer account (managed by TPG's parent company, Red Ventures), you can also use this service to find and verify award space.

Contact the frequent flyer program directly

One of the safest approaches is to contact the customer service desk of the mileage program you intend to use and ask them to manually verify the award space you found online before transferring any rewards into the program.

However, reaching out by phone may also be beneficial if you’ve already transferred transferable rewards into the program but are unable to book the seemingly available space online. Sometimes, you can secure an award via phone that isn’t available for online booking. Even if the award space you saw online turns out to be phantom, you can politely request that the agent check if the operating carrier can manually release the award inventory to honor what you observed. If neither the agent nor the carrier is accommodating, you can ask the mileage program for a comparable alternative on their flights.

It’s possible—perhaps even likely—that these requests could be lengthy and unfruitful. Nevertheless, TPG director Andrea Rotondo once successfully persuaded United MileagePlus to release business-class award space after the program displayed phantom award availability for flights operated by Austrian Airlines. Here’s the advice a United representative shared with TPG for customers facing similar issues:

United provides a vast range of award flights operated by both United and its partner airlines, which members can book through united.com and our mobile app. Award availability is constantly updated as customers make bookings. If a customer transfers their miles to United, our contact centers can assist in confirming which awards are still available and help them find a suitable option to use their miles.

Request a transfer reversal

If you've already moved your rewards and found that you can’t redeem them for your intended ticket, you might consider asking your credit card provider and/or the mileage program to reverse the transfer.

The likelihood of successfully reversing a transfer is very low, so don’t be surprised if it doesn’t pan out. However, it has happened—most recently for some Aeroplan members who transferred rewards to book a mistake fare that Aeroplan failed to honor—so it’s worth asking. Be courteous but make a strong case, highlighting the airline's error that led to your inability to utilize the transferred rewards.

Key takeaways

Phantom award space can be one of the most frustrating elements of the award travel landscape. Yet, with some diligence, you can verify the availability of the seats you wish to book and prevent your hard-earned rewards from being tied up in a program you don’t frequently use.