You can also use miles you already have. A bank transfer is only needed to fill a gap.
Book through one program; fly another airline. Airline rewards programs can book eligible partner flights.
The same flight can have different quotes. Each program controls its own price and access to seats.

Award booking or bank travel portal?

An award booking uses an airline rewards program’s points or miles. A bank travel portal lets you use bank points toward a paid ticket at the portal’s quoted value. Compare the points required and the ticket rules for both.

See the bank points guides

Find flights for your dates

1
Set your must-haves
Dates, passenger count, cabin, acceptable airports and maximum connections.
2
Search the complete trip
Enter all passengers and your actual origin and destination. Use the airline rewards program you intend to book through.
3
Inspect each flight
Check the cabin on the longest segment, connection times, and the final points-plus-fees quote.
4
Broaden one thing at a time
Try nearby dates, another gateway or another airline rewards program. Account for the extra travel time and cost.

Watch for mixed cabins. A “business” result can include an economy flight on the longest segment. Open the itinerary before comparing prices.

Nothing suitable? Try these next steps.

Search individual segments to identify a possible connection. Separate seats do not guarantee a bookable through itinerary.
Remove tight price or nonstop filters and search the airline directly.
Check again later or set an alert. There is no universal award-release day.
Before adding a separate flight to reach a gateway, allow for delays, baggage collection, airport changes and possibly an overnight stay.

For program-specific search tools and booking instructions, select an airline rewards program in Optimizer section 2.

Use award search tools effectively

Third-party tools help find leads across dates or airline rewards programs. Confirm promising flights with the program that will issue the ticket.

Award search tools and when to use them
Tool	Useful for	Check first
Seats.aero	Scanning dates and routes; setting alerts.	Route coverage and cached versus live results.
PointsYeah	Comparing supported programs, points, fees and connections.	Search-window and airport limits for your plan.
point.me	Comparing supported programs with transfer and booking guidance.	Program coverage and access for your account.

Referral disclosure: We may receive a reward if you subscribe through our Seats.aero referral link. Disclosure details

A listed program does not mean complete coverage

Tools can miss routes, connections or recent changes, even for programs they support. An empty result does not establish that no award is available. Check the airline directly before ruling out a trip.

Seats.aero: why results may be missing

Explore Seats.aero

Cached coverage: Explore and most Search results use previously collected data for listed routes.
Live Search: Pro live searches work in Search for supported programs; broad queries may need narrowing.
Dynamic prices: Higher-priced awards may be filtered out. Pro users can disable this filter in Settings.
Passenger count: Confirm enough bookable seats for everyone on the airline’s site.

Tool resources and current features

Coverage, features and free or paid limits vary. Check the tool’s current terms before subscribing. Documentation reviewed October 18, 2026.

Decide whether an award is good value

Compare a cash fare you would realistically buy with the points and fees for a similar trip.

Researched Low Price example

Chicago → Madrid · Business Class · One way

Book through Iberia Club (Avios)

Illustrative purchase price

$1,800

Award price

40k points + $170

Value covered by points

$1,630

$1,800 − $170 fees

Value per point

4.1 cents

Illustrative example. Confirm actual fares and award pricing for your dates.

Low Price

The lowest researched price, sometimes available on only one or a few dates.

Broader Availability

The upper end of the typical award price range. Flights on most dates were available between the Low Price and this amount.

Actual prices and availability vary by date. These examples do not confirm seats for your trip.

Compare the whole trip: all passengers, fees, extra flights and overnight stays.
Consider the experience: travel time, connections and the cabin on each flight.
Check flexibility: change, cancellation and no-show costs.

Comparing options with different points and fees

The Optimizer uses a default value of 3 cents per mile to compare miles plus cash and identify preferred options. This is a comparison setting; the cents-per-point example above measures the value of a specific redemption.

Adjust your comparison value · How we research pricing

Transfer and book

Use this checklist when you have found a flight you want.

1. Confirm seats for everyoneCheck the exact dates, all passengers, each segment’s cabin, and a workable return if needed.2. Confirm the full price and rulesReview miles, fees, connections, and change, cancellation and no-show terms.3. Check the transferVerify eligible accounts, matching details, the transfer ratio, minimum amount and expected timing. Ask about an award hold if the program offers one.4. Transfer what you needAllow for existing airline miles and the bank’s transfer increments. Transfers are generally final; seats can disappear before points arrive.5. Book and verify the ticketRecheck the flight and price, complete payment, and confirm ticket issuance. Save the ticket number and the operating airline’s booking reference.

Use the bank points guides and the linked airline rewards program guide for transfer and booking rules.

Common questions

Why can’t I find the price shown here?

Our examples come from prior research. Prices and seats change with dates, passenger count and routing. Try nearby dates or another airline rewards program, then confirm the current quote directly.

Why does one program show seats another doesn’t?

Airlines control which seats they offer to each partner. A seat offered to the airline’s own members may not be offered to another airline rewards program.

Can I combine points from different banks?

Eligible banks may transfer into the same airline rewards program account, subject to each bank’s rules. You cannot generally move points directly between unrelated banks. Check ratios and recipient restrictions before transferring.

Can I book flights for someone else?

Many airline rewards programs allow this, while some limit eligible travelers or require advance registration. Booking a ticket for someone and transferring bank points into their account follow different rules. Check the program guide.

What if seats disappear while my points transfer?

Recheck other dates and routes in the receiving airline rewards program. Transfers are generally final. An award hold, where available, may reduce this risk; confirm its deadline and conditions before transferring.

What is a positioning flight?

A separate flight to reach the airport where your award trip begins. Budget for the extra fare and enough time between tickets; a delay on one ticket can cause you to miss the other.

What do mixed cabin and waitlist mean?

Mixed cabin means different segments use different cabins, such as economy on one flight and business on another. A waitlist is a request for a seat that has not yet been confirmed. Neither label guarantees business class on your longest flight.

Put your points to work

Explore a destination, compare your balances, then search your dates.

Explore Award Flights Open the Optimizer

Turn Your Points into Flights

Start with your trip or your points

I know where I want to go

Where could my points take me?

What can my balances cover?

Understand how award flights work