3 Tips for Booking Last-Minute Award Flights

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I missed my business class flight — and had just a few hours to avoid missing my cruise departure and another flight. But with points, I was able to get a last-minute flight in first class.

My original itinerary had me on an Iberia business class award flight from New York to Madrid on a Thursday. I had a connecting flight from Madrid to Marseille on Friday evening on a separate ticket, and a nonrefundable deposit for a cruise departing Saturday morning. If I didn’t reach Madrid by Friday, I’d lose a lot of money. And after missing my flight, last-minute economy cash fares to Madrid were in the ballpark of $900.

Because of Iberia’s restrictive policies, the 40,500 Avios and $124 in taxes I used for booking that flight were gone. But by moving quickly and leveraging my points and partner knowledge, I managed to book a first class seat on an American Airlines flight to Madrid departing two hours later, using 82,500 Atmos Rewards points and $18 in taxes.

That stressful experience taught me a lot about booking last-minute award flights. Here are some tips to help you do the same.

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1. Lean on flexible points and miles

The only reason I got out of John F. Kennedy International Airport in a premium cabin that night was that I had points with American Express and I was able to transfer them instantly to a partner airline.

While the specific transfer partner I used is no longer an option, the fact remains: Transferable currencies give you options in situations like these.

The whole process took about five minutes, but it was stressful since there was only one first class seat left.

If I’d only had Iberia Avios or airline-specific miles, I might have had to pay $900 for an economy seat or miss the cruise entirely.

2. Check award tools for last-minute seats

When things go sideways, you may not have time to check every airline site manually. Search engine tools like Seats.aero and Roame can help by scanning multiple loyalty programs and surfacing options you might not have considered.

Even if the sites don’t show live availability, they can inspire ideas. If you see a seat on American Airlines, it may also be bookable with British Airways or another partner. That’s exactly what happened in my case.

I was checking both tools and saw a one-way first class award seat on American Airlines from New York to Madrid. I didn’t have American miles, but I knew that the same flight might show up on Alaska since both airlines are part of Oneworld. That’s what prompted me to search Alaska’s site, and that booking saved my entire trip.

3. Unlock more award options with airline partners

Airline alliances made my last-minute booking possible.

Here are some creative options using Oneworld, Star Alliance, SkyTeam, and independent partnerships:

Book KLM flights with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points (both airlines are SkyTeam members).

Book United flights with Air Canada points (both airlines are Star Alliance members).

Book Aer Lingus flights with Alaska Atmos points (there is a partnership between these airlines).

Knowing which airlines are partners helps you find better redemptions, especially if award tools don’t show all partner flights.

Missing a flight is stressful. Missing a business class flight with a layover, nonrefundable bookings and a cruise? That’s a recipe for disaster.

But with transferable points, alliance know-how and access to award tools, I avoided losing the entire trip, and even got to fly first class. A stash of points isn’t just for business class splurges; it’s your backup when plans go awry.

How to maximize your rewards

About the author

Elina Geller is a contributing NerdWallet travel writer specializing in airline and hotel loyalty programs and travel insurance. In 2019, Elina founded TheMissMiles, a travel rewards coaching business. Her work has been featured by Forbes and AwardWallet. She is a certified public accountant with degrees from the London School of Economics and Fordham University.

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