Booking a Connecting Award Flight

An empty nonstop search does not always mean the trip is unavailable. A connecting itinerary may still work, even if it did not appear in the original search.

Finding these routings is currently a manual process, but breaking the trip into two searches can reveal additional choices.

Start with a practical connecting hub

Look at the hubs used by airlines that serve your destination. Long-haul networks often route through a small group of cities, so begin with a hub that has useful service from both your origin and to your destination.

Search each flight separately

First search from your origin to the hub, then search from the hub to your destination. This takes longer than a single search, but it can uncover award fares that were missing from the original query.

Separate searches also show which part of the trip has less availability, helping you decide where flexible dates or a different routing may help.

Allow enough time for the connection

If you book the flights separately, they are separate contracts. A delay on the first flight may leave you without protection for the second. Allow more than the minimum connection time and consider how you would handle an overnight delay at the hub.

Compare round trips with two one-way bookings

A round trip depends on one airline program having availability in both directions. Booking two one-way trips lets each direction stand on its own and can allow you to use different points balances. The tradeoff is managing two bookings instead of one.

Before you move any points

Confirm that both flights are available before transferring points. Transfers are one-way, and availability for either flight can change. If your search was empty for another reason, why a search shows nothing explains the common causes, while what is award travel covers the booking order.