Searching Award Flights: Tips and Tricks for Success

Finding award flights can feel overwhelming, even for me, and I’ve been doing it for years.  Fortunately for you, the introduction of search aggregators has made things much easier.  I usually start searching with aggregators and then refine with the individual airline sites.  Like most things, practice makes perfect; the more you search for flights, the easier it will get. 

A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Award Flights

I always search and book one-way tickets for two reasons:

1. Flexibility with the points needed for the booking. I have more flights to choose from if I am not limited to using only one point or miles currency. For example, I can book a flight to a destination with American Airlines miles and then the return flight with British Airways Avios.
2. I am always looking for better flight options and when I find one, I only want to change the single flight.  If I had a round-trip ticket, I would have to cancel and rebook both directions. 

Many people think one-way tickets are more expensive, and they may be if paying cash. I haven’t paid for a flight since I started using points and miles, so if they cost more, I have no idea.

Using Award Flight Finder Tools and Apps

To successfully find award flights, you should utilize dedicated search tools and websites that aggregate availability across multiple airlines and loyalty programs. Technology has made it simpler to comb through vast amounts of flight information. You can save time by using these platforms designed specifically to find award seats across multiple airlines simultaneously.  With paid subscriptions, you can also set alerts and search across a wide range of dates. I have used many search aggregators, but my current favorite, and the one I recommend, is PointsYeah. 

Using PointsYeah

You must create a login to use the free version of PointsYeah.  Don’t worry; they won’t spam your inbox.

Even with the free membership, you can search for up to 4 days; no other sites allow this without a paid membership.

After you enter your basic details, you will get boatloads of results. Fortunately, the filter options in PointsYeah are fantastic. 

I hate layovers, so I typically filter non-stop. I don’t want to wake at dawn when going on vacation, so I filter the departure window.  This example trip is to Denver for skiing, so I will also include an arrival filter to allow time to drive to the ski resort.

I love a spreadsheet, so I will review my options and log them to evaluate them more easily; this is the data I capture.

I want to talk you through a couple of details of the results.

Line 2 of my spreadsheet is for an Aeroplan booking.  This flight is on United Airlines, but the 10k points per person deal is through Air Canada Aeroplan.  All major banks transfer to Air Canada Aeroplan, and it’s a great option.  Caution: Aeroplan has a cancellation policy is awful, so do not book unless you are positive you want to take the flight. Also, notice the tax is higher than a domestic carrier. 

Next, I want to point out that the exact same American Airlines flight is available to book on other carriers, such as Qantas and Alaska. 

American Airlines mikes are some of the more difficult miles to earn, so I save them until I have no other choice of flight. 

Qantas points transfer from Amex, Capital One, and Citi, meaning they are easy to earn.  This is an excellent option for this flight. 

Alaska miles are also difficult to earn, and I have just started collecting them.  Despite Alaska needing the least number of miles, there are some fantastic sweet spots for international travel with Alaska miles, so I will not waste them on this flight. 

Unfortunately, PointsYeah does not include British Airways in their search, but because I see the American Airlines seats on Qantas and Alaska, there is a good chance they are also available on British Airways.  I have used British Airways for many flights on American Airlines; I know their program and policies well, so if I had the option, I would probably book on British Airways.

The 48000 point value is for four people, at 12000 points per person, British Airways is the same number of points as Qantas.  I can transfer points to British Airways from Amex, Chase, and Capital One; I think I have found a winner!

Booking Your Flight Award

I only use my Chase points for Hyatt, so I must choose between transferring Amex Membership Rewards or Capital One Miles.  After looking at the log of my accounts balance, my only option is Membership Rewards because I am low on Capital One Miles. 

I already have a loyalty account with British Airways, so I need to log in to my Amex account and transfer the points.  Once logged in to Amex, select Rewards & Benefits.

Next, scroll down until you see Transfer Points.

I have transferred points to British Airways before, so I am showing as already enrolled.  If you are not enrolled, you must enter your British Airways loyalty account number to connect to your Amex account. 

From here, you select the quantity of points needed to transfer, and voila! Transfer times vary by bank and Airline.  Transfers from Amex to British Airways only take a few minutes.  I will book the flight as soon as I see the points in my British Airways account. 

Final Thoughts About Searching for Award Flights

This formula for booking an award flight is the basis for even the most complicated bookings. The more experience you have working with reward programs, the easier it will get. Yes, mastering this skill is worth it because it opens the door to incredible travel opportunities without spending a fortune. As always, reach out to me if you have any questions!

Thanks for reading, friends, Happy travels!