Booking airfare w/points when you don't have enough for everyone?

[mirage0306]

I have 25K points for a free SW flight, but we need 4 flights. What's the best way to book? I can obviously do one transaction with the points and then just pay cash for the other three tickets. Is there a downside to doing this that I am not seeing? I know this is stupid, but I want to make sure before i book anything and mess anything up somehow.
Thanks!

 

[justcantwait]

I had a similar situation with Delta in Oct. Booked 2 separate reservations. Wasn't a problem until Delta changed our nonstop to Florida into a flight with one layover in Atlanta. Unfortunately, they didn't know that the 2 flights were related, and booked me on a different second leg than my husband! One phone call straightened everything out though. I don't think there would be a problem with Southwest. I've heard of people booking multiple reservations for a family to get the best prices for each ticket. I say go ahead and do what works financially.

Kathy

 

[mirage0306]

Thank you! I keep running through different scenarios in my head, not sure why it would matter if we book two different transactions, and I can't come up with anything that would be terrible. I mean, worst case scenario is what you posted, and it's no problem to call to straighten everything out.

Buying points for the other three tickets is several hundred dollars more than doing a separate transaction with cash, so I don't want to do that! If it's Southwest, we're all on the same plane and there's no assigned seating beforehand, so I am thinking it doesn't matter.

 

[Zerosinthecloset]

Another Santa Fean here, Mirage. Where abouts are you in SF? We're in Eldorado.

 

[mirage0306]

Hey, so are we!!

 

[Zerosinthecloset]

Hate to say it, "It's a small world afterall".

 

[mirage0306]

LOL. It's apparently true, though.