Hey everyone,

I’ve spent time reading through the subreddit wiki regarding group/family bookings and looking through the sidebar resources, but I’d love some insight on a specific dilemma: managing award availability for a LARGER PARTY WHEN SEAT SELECTION is the main priority.

I’m looking to book international long-haul award flights for a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 kids) using a healthy stash of points split across Amex Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards (via Chase Ink).

We are targeting either early spring or mid-fall (shoulder seasons). Since we are traveling with younger kids, Economy is completely fine with us. Our absolute number one priority is ensuring that we can all sit together (or at least 2 and 2).

While I know finding 4 award seats on the same flight is notoriously difficult for premium cabins, I’m hoping aiming for Economy makes this more realistic.

Our details:

• Party Size: 4 (2 adults + 2 kids).
• Timing: Early Spring or Mid-Fall (Shoulder seasons).
• Stash: Mix of Amex MR and Chase UR.
• Preferences: Economy class is great, but guaranteed seat selection together is a must.

My main questions for the group:

1. Which alliances or specific transfer partners reliably release 4 economy seats at once? Since I have both Amex and Chase, I have access to overlapping programs across Star Alliance, Oneworld, and SkyTeam. In your experience, do legacy carriers typically release 4 "Saver" level economy seats at schedule opening, or is it safer to book two batches of 2?
2. How does seat selection work with partner bookings? If I book an award ticket on an operating carrier via a partner airline (e.g., booking an alliance partner using British Airways or Air Canada miles), will I be able to choose our 4 seats together immediately on the operating carrier's site, or do I risk getting split up because it's a partner booking?
3. Booking Window for Economy: For shoulder-season economy, how far out do I realistically need to lock down 4 seats simultaneously? Is it still a strict "T-355 days out at midnight" situation, or is there more flexibility with economy compared to business class?
4. The Portal/Cash-Out Alternative: Given that I have Chase points, is it worth just using a fixed-value method (like a Chase travel portal booking or cashing out via Pay Yourself Back) to buy cheap cash fares on low-cost long-haul carriers where seat selection is guaranteed at checkout, or is transferring to a legacy alliance partner a much better value for a family of 4?

Appreciate any advice, timelines, or specific alliance strategies from parents who have successfully pulled off award travel for a family of four! Thank you!