Question: Booking With Different Miles - Credit Card and Frequent Flyer Programs
A reader writes - We are planning a trip on miles from Boston to Maui [OGG]. The flight we are planning on booking goes from Boston [BOS] to [Dallas-Fort Worth] DFW to Maui. The return is Maui/DFW/BOS.
My question is: Can we book the Boston to DFW and DFW to Boston through American Express to use our AMEX rewards points, and then Book the DFW to Maui and Maui to DFW using our Frequent Flyer miles to get an upgrade?
Answer: That shouldn't be a problem as long as the space is there for the reward.
You'll use up more miles, but it shouldn't be a problem. If it all ends up
being on the same airline, you'll be able to check your luggage through
(if it's same day travel). If it is on two different airlines, if they
have an INTERLINE BAGGAGE agreement you'll also be able to check your
luggage through, as long as you provide the check-in agent with the flight
information for the onward travel.
At the airport I've seen lots of interesting bookings - the most difficult are when it's a low cost airline combined with a legacy one - like Southwest Airlines and American Airlines for example. Since it seems you aren't doing that to yourselves, I don't see why an issue would occur. Just leave yourselves ample connecting time if you are on different airlines, because if you miss the DFW OGG flight and it is another airline there is no obligation on the part of either airline to get you there.