Redeeming points for premium award flights can feel like a race against the clock—Business and First Class reward seats are in high demand and often disappear quickly, especially during peak holiday periods. The challenge becomes even greater when you’re transferring points from one or more credit cards, as transfers aren’t always instant and may take hours or even days to process.
This is where award holds come in. Offered by select frequent flyer programs, this little-known feature lets you temporarily reserve award seats while your points are being transferred, ensuring you don’t miss out on your preferred flights.
How to Hold Cathay Pacific Asia Miles Award Flights
Asia Miles is a popular transfer partner for several Australian issued credit cards, Asia Miles program lets you hold awards seats for up to three days and can arranged by calling.
How to Hold Emirates Skywards Award Flights
Transferring your American Express Membership Rewards points to Emirates Skywards is a popular option, as the airline offers numerous flights from major Australian capital cities to the Middle East and beyond. The good news is you can hold award seats for up to one day simply by giving Emirates a call.
How to Hold Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Award Flights
Singapore Airlines flies from most major Australian capital cities, making it a popular choice for points redemptions. Many Australian credit cards also allow transfers to KrisFlyer, adding to its appeal.
Holding award seats requires a phone call and typically is for one day, however not every phone agent is able to place award seats on hold, so it may take a few attempts before becoming successful—that extra effort can be well worth it, giving you the chance to lock in your dream cabin instead of missing out.
How to Hold Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Award Flights
Transferring your American Express Membership Rewards points to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club unlocks a range of flight options. Award seat holds can be requested by phone and typically last for 24–48 hours, giving you time for you points to be transferred.
How to Hold Award Flights with Other Airlines
Several other frequent flyer programs are also known to offer phone-based award holds, include:
- Air France-KLM Flying Club
- ANA Mileage Club
- American AAdvantage
- EVA Air Infinity MileageLands
- Lufthansa Miles & More
- Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles
At this time, these programs don’t offer transfers options from Australian credit cards.
Award Holds Tips
- Be prepared with your exact flight number, cabin class, and the route you want to hold.
- Call early in the day when phone agents are likely less busy and be polite but persistent; not all agents are aware of the award hold seat process.
- If the first agent can’t place a hold, try again—sometimes another agent or a manager will have the necessary access.
- Ask if there is a hold fee, whether the hold is guaranteed, and how long it will last.
- Time your credit card points transfer so it arrives within the hold window, and ensure the name on your credit card matches your frequent flyer account to avoid manual reviews.
- Some credit cards allow you to pre-link your accounts, allowing for a smoother transfer of your points.
Award Seat Holds Frequently Asked Questions
No—Qantas does not allow award seat holds. You must have points in your account at the time of booking.
If your points don’t arrive before the hold expires, the seat will be released back to the general public.
Extensions are rare and usually at the discretion of the airline.
Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic offer the greatest flexibility for holding award seats. By contrast, programs like Qantas and Velocity require your points to be in your account at the time of booking, with no option to place award seats on hold.
Instead of repeatedly tapping “refresh,” the most reliable way to see your updated balance is to log out and log back into your frequent flyer account. This ensures your account displays the most up-to-date information.
Yes, most airlines that allow award holds let you reserve seats for multiple travellers at once, as long as their is more than one award seats available to book.
Securing an award hold can take a bit of extra time and persistence, but it’s well worth the effort—most frequent flyer programs offer holds free of charge or for a small fee. Without a hold, your points may not transfer quickly enough, and those coveted award seats could vanish, leaving you missing out on your dream flight.
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