Award Alert Guide

Last modified on

AwardTool Alerts – Your 24/7 Award Seat Monitor

Alerts help you catch hard-to-find award seats by monitoring availability around the clock and notifying you immediately when we find a match via email and/or SMS.

One of AwardTool's Best Features: Our alerts have helped hundreds of thousands of people find the best award flights. This powerful monitoring system is what makes AwardTool the go-to platform for serious award travelers.

How Alerts Work

Alerts can help you find space for itineraries that are harder to book. For example, airlines sometimes re-release award space when existing award bookings are cancelled. As a flight comes closer to its departure date, airlines also release more award space when they realize that they will not sell the seats with cash fares.

When these events occur depends on each airline and can be completely random. Alerts rapidly check our data 24/7 to see if they have found you a flight. Once we find availability for your alert, we notify you immediately via email and/or SMS.

Alerts use the same data that is visible on AwardTool, ensuring you're getting accurate information. We check your alerts every 4-6 hours around the clock to catch availability as soon as it appears.

Why Use Alerts?

  • Airlines re-release award space when existing award bookings are cancelled

    This creates unexpected availability that alerts can catch immediately

  • Last-minute award space releases as departure approaches

    Airlines release unsold seats as awards when they can't sell them for cash

  • Random timing varies by airline

    Alerts save you from constantly checking manually throughout the day

  • 24/7 monitoring with rapid checks

    We continuously scan for availability so you don't miss opportunities

How to Use Alerts

1. Creating an Alert

You can create alerts on the real-time search page, the routes page, or on your alert page. Choose your flight criteria and select Create Alert.

Set filters to customize your alert and find your ideal flights. Use cabin class preferences, mileage programs, and other filters to ensure you only get notified about flights that match your travel style and budget.

2. Notifications via Email (and SMS for Pro)

We run multiple daily searches on your behalf. When a match is found, we notify you immediately. The alert will be marked as completed unless Infinite Mode is enabled. You can re-enable an alert anytime if you want us to keep searching.

3. How Alerts Are Counted

Each entry counts as one alert: 1 origin + 1 destination + 1 date = 1 alert.

Examples:

  • SFO → LHR for 3 days = 3 alerts

    One alert for each date (SFO-LHR on Day 1, SFO-LHR on Day 2, SFO-LHR on Day 3)

  • SFO → LHR, LIS for 3 days = 6 alerts

    Two alerts per day (SFO-LHR and SFO-LIS) × 3 days = 6 total alerts

  • JFK → CDG for 1 week = 7 alerts

    One alert for each day of the week

4. Increase Your Alert Limit

Free users have a limited number of alerts. Pro users can have up to 70 active alerts per account, plus advanced filters and higher-frequency checks.

PRO User Benefits

  • Advanced filters for precise searching

    Stop number filter, max tax filter, and more customization options

  • SMS alerts in addition to email

    Get instant notifications on your phone for time-sensitive opportunities

  • Higher frequency checks

    PRO user alerts are checked more frequently for faster notifications

  • Increased alert limit

    Up to 70 active alerts per account vs. limited free user alerts

Infinite Mode

By default, alerts are “one-off alerts” and will be automatically turned off when the matching flights are found.

Pro users can use Infinite Mode that never expires unless the departure date has passed. Continuous alerts let you know when flights become available that were previously unavailable, or when existing flights drop in price.

Note: These alerts are more flexible but can also send you a lot of notifications if availability changes frequently!

Alert Filters & Customization

AwardTool offers powerful filtering options to help you create precise alerts that match your exact travel preferences and avoid unwanted notifications.

Basic Filters (All Users)

  • Origin & Destination

    Set specific airports or cities for your alerts

  • Date Range

    Choose flexible travel dates for your alerts

  • Mileage Programs

    Select specific airline loyalty programs to monitor

  • Cabin Class

    Filter by Economy, Premium Economy, Business, or First Class

  • Max Points per Passenger

    Set a maximum point cost to avoid expensive award redemptions

  • Premium Cabin Percentage

    Control the minimum percentage of your journey that must be in Business/First class for multi-segment flights

  • Airline Exclusions

    Exclude specific airlines you prefer to avoid

  • Flight Number

    Target specific flight numbers if you have preferences

  • Max Duration

    Set maximum flight duration to avoid overly long journeys

  • Departure & Arrival Time Windows

    Specify preferred time ranges for departure and arrival

PRO User Advanced Filters

  • Stop Number Filter

    Limit alerts to direct flights or specify maximum number of stops

  • Max Tax per Passenger

    Set maximum tax and fee amounts to avoid high additional costs

Pro Tip: Use these filters strategically to reduce notification noise and focus on alerts that truly match your travel preferences. Start with basic filters and gradually add advanced ones as you refine your search criteria.

Pro Tips

  • Use alerts for premium cabins, popular routes, or last-minute availability

    These are the hardest seats to find and most likely to benefit from monitoring

  • Enable Infinite Mode for ongoing price monitoring

    Great for tracking price drops and newly released space over time

  • Set alerts for multiple dates around your target

    Airlines often release space in batches across several days

  • Use advanced filters to avoid unwanted notifications

    Filter by stops, taxes, or specific airlines to get more relevant alerts

Need Help?

Contact support at team@awardtool.com