Booking awards with other airlines, using FC miles

What's the process by which this happens, administratively speaking?

After confirming availability with ANA/SeatCounter, and you speak to FC, they give you a 48 hours thing, for you to await confirmation.

Have you reserved these available seats at this stage, or could someone else nab them inside that 48 hours?

[Nottingham Nick]

My only experience of this is when we booked SQ flights.

IIRC, I got the phone call back from the FC to confirm the seats had been booked within an hour or two.

I don't know how the system works exactly, but would hope that once they are 'reserved', they are yours.

Nick

Hmm.. thanks Nick.

Also trying to get SQ, the outbound seat I thought I had 'reserved' yesterday is now no longer on ANA; however, the return seat is still showing. I have a nagging suspicion this means the outbound has gone elsewhere, and when I ring FC tomorrow (48 hours) I am in for a disappointment.

my understanding is that when you speak to VS, nothing is reserved until the other airline confirms the booking. With star alliance this is instant (e.g. my booking with Thai through BMI), but with virgin you have to wait up to 48 hours in which time the seats could go to someone else.

Oh bugger...

In for a disappointing phone call today then.

Update: got my chosen dates/flights no problem!!!

My fears were unfounded, as my SQ flights were confirmed. 24 hours later, an eTicket in my Inbox seals the deal. Yippee!

Another update: The long held belief that there is only ever one F award seat on SQ flights appears to be false. There is still one F award seat available on SQ318 27 Apr.

And yes, I do have a confirmed eTicket!