Adding cash booking to reward booking

[AFKAE]

I’ve booked CDG-TNR-CDG on Air France using Virgin points.

I will need to get to and from CDG. Going out is fine, because the long haul departure is early morning so I’ll just go the night before and stay at an airport hotel.

Coming back the long haul is scheduled to arrive 10:25. My options for getting home CDG-BHX are 12:30 or 16:15. Obviously I would like to try and get the 12:30. Would it be possible to add a cash ticket CDG-BHX and give me a protected connection so that if I miss the 12:30 I can get the 16:15 (added benefit of protected connection with baggage checked through)?

If the view is that this is a “no” I think I’ll book 16:15 and if we’re on time try and throw myself on the mercy of AF to get shifted to the earlier flight!

Thanks.

[ekposh]

Quick answer is no. They won’t protect you on 2 separate cash tickets, let alone a reward ticket.

You can of course give it a go at TNR and see if they check you through and inadvertently connect you, but I’d not be holding up any hope.

[AFKAE]

ekposh wrote:

Quick answer is no. They won’t protect you on 2 separate cash tickets, let alone a reward ticket.

You can of course give it a go at TNR and see if they check you through and inadvertently connect you, but I’d not be holding up any hope.

Thought that would be the case. Thanks.

[memesweeper]

I managed to tag a shorthaul cash or redemption (I forget which) economy booking with AF onto a longhaul connection also with AF booked with Virgin points into Business class. Bags through checked and BPs issued at the first desk. Not guaranteed, of course, nor did I discover how they’d handle it if my flight had been seriously delayed. I built in many hours of padding in CDG to be sure.

[davefl]

Unlike Oneworld/BA, Virgin and AF/Delta and the other Skyteam partners will interline bags on seperate tickets

https://flywith.virginatlantic.com/gb/en/partner-hub/policies/class-mapping.html

Also covered here https://www.headforpoints.com/2023/08/06/how-to-spend-virgin-points-on-skyteam-flights/

[ekposh]

Will they also protect his connection then?

[ekposh]

davefl wrote:

Unlike Oneworld/BA, Virgin and AF/Delta and the other Skyteam partners will interline bags on seperate tickets

https://flywith.virginatlantic.com/gb/en/partner-hub/policies/class-mapping.html

Also covered here https://www.headforpoints.com/2023/08/06/how-to-spend-virgin-points-on-skyteam-flights/

In that case, my apologies. Interlining is one thing, in the event of a delay, will they also protect your connection?

[AL]

From experience, part of this comes down to the agent you get on the day, part of it comes down to your SkyTeam status, and part of it comes down to a bit of sheer luck. In the event of a missed connection, which you can prove was due to the delayed inbound (or other same carrier specific issue), SkyTeam is usually pretty good at protecting connections, although I don’t think they guarantee it.

I do not believe that you can mix revenue and reward on the same PNR on 092 stock, aside when you use Points to pay down the revenue balance (since that’s all revenue, and no reward).

You can, however, amend the existing 092 ticket and add on your AF flights to/from CDG on reward, assuming inventory.

[davefl]

ekposh wrote:

davefl wrote:

Unlike Oneworld/BA, Virgin and AF/Delta and the other Skyteam partners will interline bags on seperate tickets

https://flywith.virginatlantic.com/gb/en/partner-hub/policies/class-mapping.html

Also covered here https://www.headforpoints.com/2023/08/06/how-to-spend-virgin-points-on-skyteam-flights/

In that case, my apologies. Interlining is one thing, in the event of a delay, will they also protect your connection?

No, that’s a risk you take. I think if the OP pays up for a fully flexible ticket for he 12.30 they’d be in a pretty good position if the inbound was late but they’d have a problem getting through an internal flight connection path with a boarding pass for a flight that had departed.

And for completeness, I’ve had Delta Economy cash, to TATL VS on points seperate tickets interlined without even a blink.

[AFKAE]

Thanks all for the replies, some good food for thought. The reward flight is on the Air France app, I might try calling them and seeing if I can add the cash flight.

Whatever happens I will try to get checked in all the way through on the return.

You can however, amend the existing 092 ticket and add on your AF flights to/from CDG on reward, assuming inventory. Unfortunately I used all my points on the long haul.

[JDB]

AFKAE wrote:

Thanks all for the replies, some good food for thought. The reward flight is on the Air France app, I might try calling them and seeing if I can add the cash flight.

Whatever happens I will try to get checked in all the way through on the return.

You can however, amend the existing 092 ticket and add on your AF flights to/from CDG on reward, assuming inventory. Unfortunately I used all my points on the long haul.

It’s worth noting that even if you and your bags are checked through which may make your journey easier, that still doesn’t create a through trip for the purposes of UK/EC261; you will still have separate rights attached to each flight.