Guides

Here’s an announcement full of Smiles (wink wink). We are thrilled to share that GOL Smiles (Brazil) is now part of the AwardFares family! GOL has one of the most interesting frequent flyer programs in Latin America, with plenty of non-alliance partners and a jungle of redemption opportunities and sweet spots. In this guide, we’ll cover all you need to know about the Smiles program, helping you understanding the award chart, and how to unlock the best value for your miles.

We’re overjoyed to announce that GOL Smiles (Argentina) has joined the AwardFares family! GOL boasts one of the most unique frequent flyer programs in Latin America, with numerous non-alliance partners and many redemption opportunities and hidden gems. In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about the Smiles program for Argentinean members, from understanding the award chart to maximizing the value of your miles.

We are glad to announce that Miles&Smiles is now part of the AwardFares family! In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about finding and booking Turkish Airlines award flights, understanding the award chart, and how to unlock the best value for your Miles&Smiles miles.

Looking to travel the world without spending a fortune? Round-the-World (RTW) award tickets are a solution that is often underutilized. Even though booking a single RTW fare isn’t always easy, we’ve got you covered with this handy guide. We’ll show you how to plan the perfect trip, whether it’s by piecing together individual award segments or grabbing one of those elusive RTW fares. You’ll learn all about RTW awards, get tips for planning, and discover how AwardFares can help you find and book the best flights across multiple programs. Let’s turn your travel dreams into reality!

When redeeming points or miles for flights, it’s common to think about round trips. Most frequent flyer programs prioritize round-trip bookings, and some (like ANA Mileage Club) even restrict one-way redemptions.

If you lack inspiration for your next travel destination and wonder what other popular places our users consider burning their points at, don’t worry; we’ve got you covered. AwardFares saves the results from recent searches across different users and lets you easily explore what’s hot.

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, is renowned for its luxurious travel experiences and world-class service. One of the most appealing aspects of flying with Etihad is the ability to use Etihad Guest Miles to book award flights in various cabins.

Premium economy cabins continue to grow in popularity: cabins are getting better every year, and prices are becoming more attractive than Business and First Class. This year, several airlines launched or will launch new offerings, introducing new seats and elevating the premium economy experience. Here’s a look at our favorites, some of them picked from Skytrax. Plus, we share some tips on how to book them using points or miles. Let’s get started!

If you’re using AwardFares to stay updated on award travel deals and seat availability, enabling push notifications on both your desktop and mobile devices can greatly enhance your experience, letting you know as soon as your dream award seat becomes available. In this guide, we’ll show you how to set them up step-by-step.

Traveling on points and miles is a fantastic way to experience the world, but finding award availability can feel like deciphering ancient scrolls. That’s where award search tools come in. AwardFares is one of the easiest ways to search for your next free flight using points or miles. With a few clicks, you can search and gather helpful information without logging in to your frequent flyer account or dealing with slow award search portals. AwardFares’s modern user interface allows search availability across multiple frequent flyer programs, set up alerts, look at seat maps, and plan journeys in a few minutes.

This year (2024) marks a giant leap for Scandinavian Airlines, after being acquired by Air France-KLM, leaving Star Alliance and joining SkyTeam. The arena for frequent travelers is completely new, with a lot to learn and a myriad of opportunities to uncover.

Easter is a time of renewal and exploration, and what better way to celebrate than by using those hard-earned miles for a springtime getaway? If you haven’t booked or planned anything yet, there’s still plenty of opportunities out there, as we see in AwardFares.

Are you concerned about maybe flying on a Boeing 737 MAX on your next trip? The 737 MAX’s journey has been marred by tragedy, controversy, and ongoing concerns. After serious issues in 2018 and 2019, technical fixes and regulatory approvals have allowed its return to service. However, a recent flying-door episode with Alaska Airlines is again causing struggles for Boeing.

The skies are changing! Alongside established giants like Airbus and Boeing, new players are joining the game, and none are bigger than China’s COMAC. Their C919 and ARJ21-700 jets are poised to make waves in the aviation industry, and yes, you can be among the first to experience them. But how do you snag an award seat on these cutting-edge birds? This post is a roadmap to surfing on China’s rising stars, and how to redeem miles for flights on these planes.

Traveling with kids can be magical, but when it comes to booking flights, the magic can quickly fade into a stressful scramble. Flying with little ones throws a unique curveball. From age-specific policies to luggage logistics, navigating award flights with children requires a different kind of packing list (and time in front of your member dashboard).

As the world of air travel continues to evolve, 2024 positions ahead as yet-another year full of rapid changes. It might be a great time to re-think your strategy and consider venturing into new programs to get more value out of your miles. As it can be overwhelming to choose the one that best suits your travel needs and preferences, in this blog post we cover some of our favorite frequent flyer programs and why you should consider them for 2024.

Tick Tock, EuroBonus Clock! It’s that time of the year again when many Amex 2-for-1 vouchers (or companion tickets) are about to expire, and if you’re anything like us, you’re probably scrambling to find the best way to use them.

While Flying Blue remains one of the most basic pillars of SkyTeam award flight redemptions, First Class are still among the hardest ones to score. Today, we’re diving into the world of First Class redemptions using Flying Blue, a topic that for us is both exciting and a bit complex.

AwardFares’ Metro Area Searches are one of the most powerful features we’ve ever released: it lets you search for award flights between entire regions or areas simultaneously, which is a huge time saver. Interestingly, it’s also one of the most underutilized ones.

Delta SkyMiles, Delta Air Lines’ loyalty program, has one of the widest arrays of redemption options, not only regarding routes but also partner airlines. Recent announcements have upset a large portion of their members with significant changes for 2024 because it will be harder and more expensive to qualify for elite status.

Winter is a magical time of year, transforming landscapes into winter wonderlands and inviting adventurers to explore the season’s beauty. It’s also ideal for a snow-filled getaway: embrace the magic of the mountains and indulge in exhilarating ski and snowboard adventures.

As we approach the busy Christmas and New Year holiday season, with visions of flights to snowy destinations or tropical getaways dancing in our heads, it’s also time for the annual battle with award seat availability. But there’s a silver lining over the holiday travel horizon: the shift to dynamic award pricing models by airlines and frequent flyer programs.

Roame.travel is a relatively new award travel search tool that has quickly gained popularity, as it provides a bird’s-eye view of opportunities across various airline alliances. But when it comes to the nitty-gritty of securing a seat, AwardFares emerges as the perfect co-pilot. While Roame.travel can help you identify round trips and guide you through credit card points transfers, AwardFares goes a step further by showing real-time availability, and showing exact prices including taxes and fees.

As of November 2023, direct flights between the United States and China are still limited due to a complex geopolitical situation, travel bans, and trails of COVID-19. This makes it extremely hard for travelers connecting between both countries to find good alternatives: nonstop flights are expensive and very limited, and stopovers aren’t ideal because of travel times and visa-related issues.

When it comes to Halloween, some cities go above and beyond in their celebrations. If you’re looking for a not-so-mainstream experience, or considering using your miles on a spooky getaway, here are ten of the top cities known for their Halloween festivities.

Airline Alliances, which are essentially partnerships between airlines, have been a cornerstone of the industry since the 1990s. They offer mutual benefits for airlines, from marketing to operational cooperation, which translates into more seamless travel experiences for passengers.

The world of airline miles and credit card points offers a myriad of opportunities. Whether it’s jet-setting to a luxury destination on first-class tickets or scoring a free short-haul trip, redeeming miles effectively can save travelers thousands of dollars.

We hear you; the world of award flights sometimes feels like trying to crack a secret code. Our team members at AwardFares have over 15 years of experience redeeming “free” flights across different frequent flyer programs and airlines, and it still is a challenging game. That’s why we crafted our tool AwardFares with love and strive to help fellow travelers like us with some of the issues we struggle with.

Japan Airlines (JAL) has unveiled the specifics of its latest Airbus A350-1000 aircraft and cabin design. This plane is set to be JAL’s premier international service, after two decades. Passengers can look forward to unparalleled comfort inside the plane and a journey tailored to each individual. While the aircraft’s initial launch on the Tokyo (Haneda) to New York (JFK) route was slated for late November 2023, supply chain setbacks have prompted a rescheduled debut expected by the end of 2023.

For frequent travelers and point maximizers, AwardFares has consolidated as one of the most reliable and feature-rich tools to search for award availability. However, our Seat Maps feature is an often-overlooked gem.

AwardFares is the easiest way to search and find your next free flight using points or miles. In just a few clicks and with a modern user interface, you can search award availability across multiple frequent flyer programs, setup alerts, lookup seat maps and flight schedules.

EVA Air, a member of the Star Alliance, offers world-renowned service and has a stellar reputation in the aviation industry. Whether you’re traveling for leisure or business, there are some routes that stand out for the exceptional in-flight experience they offer.

EVA Air is renowned for its world-class service, exceptional cabin amenities, and fantastic award flight opportunities. However, like most airlines, searching for award availability can be a maze that even the most seasoned travelers get lost in. More often than not, travelers make mistakes that can cost them both time and valuable points.

Booking flights with points or miles is fun, but finding the perfect trip to your desired destination can be tricky, especially when the journey involves multiple segments, or across different airlines.

What if you don’t have time to check for award availability constantly? With the Alerts feature, you can create alerts for specific routes and dates and let AwardFares do the extra work.

As a frequent flyer, scoring a flight on the A380 might be one of the most rewarding achievements.

AwardFares Flight Schedules is part of our advanced toolkit. It allows you quickly to search flight timetables and see availability by booking class code.

For frequent travelers, airline loyalty programs offer a myriad of benefits that not only enhance the travel experience but make it more cost-effective. Since American Airlines introduced the very first frequent flyer program in the 80s, it became clear that staying loyal to one airline could reward customers a long way.

If you’re dreaming of your next adventure and looking to get the most out of your frequent flyer program, you’ve come to the right place.

AwardFares lets you search flights to find available award seats in a quick way with modern user interface. In just a few clicks, you can search award availability across multiple frequent flyer programs, setup alerts, lookup seat maps and flight schedules.

In airline travel, married segments are two or more flights between city pairs that airlines sell together as a single bundled unit, rather than as two or more individual segments. This means that the flights must be booked together and cannot be changed or canceled independently.

Alaska Airlines has been rolling out a new search UI for Mileage Plan which currently does not support searching Business and First Class redemptions with partner airlines: it only works for Alaska Airlines. There are no known date or official statement from the airline for when this features will be back.

AwardFares looks great on mobile, and it doesn’t sacrifice any of the features compared its the desktop version. You can use AwardFares on-the-go to easily set up alerts, perform broad searches and check seat maps.

The results for the 2023 Skytrax Awards were announced, and Singapore Airlines was selected as World’s Best Airline. Even though Skytrax is just one of the awards given in the aviation industry, it’s great to see they recognize Singapore Airlines as the one offering a top-notch service on a modern fleet. Definitely one of our favorites at AwardFares.

We are happy to announce that now it is possible to perform searches with AwardFares without and account! Previously, users needed to register to the platform to be able use the tool.

Every year, cities around the world celebrate Pride Month with a variety of events to honor and uplift the LGBTQ+ community. These celebrations vary from parades and parties to concerts and exhibitions. Pride events have become vibrant expressions of acceptance, unity, and love for everyone.

Being an Aeroplan member can open up a world of travel opportunities. However, to truly make the most of this program, there are several tools you might consider using. These tools can help you both earn and redeem Aeroplan miles more efficiently, find award availability, and plan your dream trips.

Alaska Airlines just announced new partners, routes and redemptions starting in June. Let’s have a look at the news and see which award flights are already available with AwardFares.

UPDATE: SAS is no longer a member of Star Alliance and it is no longer possible to book Lufthansa flights with EuroBonus points. This guide is deprecated. Instead, try booking through a different program such as United MileagePlus, Aeroplan, etc.

Aeroplan has more airline partners than any other program, and that’s good news for flyers trying to score a flight in First Class. Getting a first-class award ticket is a great way to live the full experience without spending tens of thousands of dollars on the full-fare ticket. Aeroplan, then, with so many partners onboard, comes across as one of the best ways to get a First Class award ticket in 2024.

Aeroplan member, offers a world of travel possibilities through Air Canada and its partners, but finding the most valuable redemptions and sweet spots can be challenging. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! In this guide, we’ll show you how AwardFares simplifies this process, and share expert tips on how to search for and book award flights that offer the best value for your hard-earned miles.

We’re thrilled to announce the rollout of some great new features that we know you’re going to love! As we continue to innovate and improve our platform, we had the chance to incorporate some of your feedback in this new version of AwardFares.

AwardFares is a modern and fast platform to search award availability across multiple frequent flyer programs. Among other things, it lets you search flights to find available award seats, setup alerts to monitor award availability, and lookup seat maps and flight schedules.

Singapore Airlines (SQ) is a great airline and serves as a major hub in Asia, serving North America, Europe, and Oceania. Finding award redemptions has always been tricky, but since the start of the COVID pandemic, redeeming award flights on Singapore Airlines through partner programs has become even more difficult and with many restrictions.

After a long break during the COVID-19 pandemic, THAI First Class redemptions are finally back to an increasing number of routes. The first route to receive First Class was the London route, back in April of 2022. Now, Tokyo is also available, and Osaka is coming in September 2022.

We’re glad to finally release a couple of new features that we’ve been working on for quite a while! Today we’re releasing three brand new features:

EVA Air award redemptions are quirky. I recently made my first award redemption using their frequent flyer program, and the process was not easy, especially since I was booking a flight for two people, myself and a travel companion.

On April 1, 2022 Malaysia completely opened their border to foreign travelers, without any quarantine for those who are fully vaccinated. The process was however much easier said than done. The main requirements are:

We’re making some adjustments to the pricing of AwardFares (only affecting new subscribers), but are have also released some useful new features that are available now to all Gold and Diamond subscribers.

The recent 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak (SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19) is definitely having a large impact on the travel and airlines. Whether you’re currently travelling or planning to travel there are many different aspects that may affect you, including suspended flight services and country travel restrictions.

AwardFares makes it easy to find and track award availability. Learn more about the core features available in AwardFares.

We recently announced a new Gold/Diamond feature that lets you see cabin information for certain flights. Read more here Introducing Cabin Annotations. Today we’ve released cabin annotations for many more airlines and even added support for seat maps.

Lufthansa currently offers First Class with 3 different aircraft types on 30 routes (20 from Frankfurt and 10 from Munich). Most routes are quite consistent, but some changes do occur so it can be difficult to keep track them. Here’s an updated list of all routes as of December, 2019.

Cabin type information is now available for certain flights. Most Singapore Airlines flights and some ANA flights will now display the type of cabin used for that particular flight, if the information is available. Note that this feature is only available to Gold and Diamond members.

Just a small update today. We have now added a new zone for Scandinavia so that you can easily find award flights to or from all Scandinavian airports.

With the opening of the new Beijing Daxing airport (PKX) we will start to see some airlines add and move operations to the new airport. Here is a summary of all confirmed operational updates so far, grouped by alliance.

The AwardFares calendar is one of the easiest ways to find great award redemptions. Today we’ve enhanced the calendar to show additional “special” dates (beyond the normal 60 days). You can now browse 400+ routes during Christmas and New Year between December 20th and January 8th.

We’ve added the possibility to filter for specific flight numbers (Or parts thereof) when searching. For example, let’s say you want to take a trip on the famous Island Hopper flight across Hawaii. If you just search for the route, HNL-GUM you will find both direct flights as well as the Island Hopper.

It’s now possible to search with date ranges. Start by selecting a start date as usual. Once you’ve done this a new “Until when?” box will appear. Now select a second date to create your date range.

Based on all the feedback we have received after the launch of the new AwardFares UI, we are now releasing some improvements that should make it easier to build journeys. We hope you will appreciate these improvements, and please keep sending us feedback!

Copying/exporting journeys has been available in AwardFares for a long time. To do so, simply click “Copy” and you’ll receive a text description of your journey:

During the last few months we’ve been working very hard on a completely new version of AwardFares with many new features and improvements. Today we’re launching the new version to everyone together with a new Diamond tier.

Lufthansa currently offers First Class with 3 different aircraft types on 34 routes (22 from Frankfurt and 12 from Munich). Most routes are quite consistent, but some changes do occur so it can be difficult to keep track them. Here's an updated list of all routes as of July, 2019.

Over the past couple of weeks we’ve been having issues fetching availability data for Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines, and TAP. However, after some hard work, this is finally back. There are some limitations though described below.

Two big announcements today. First, we’re introducing AwardFare Alerts. Second, we’ve added First Class awards for some Singapore Airlines.

Lots of updates, including our Black Friday Offer, introducing AwardFares Trips, Singapore Airlines availability, New Routes & Map.