THE AWARDTOOL LEARNING CENTER
How to use AwardTool
for flights & hotels.
Learn to find award flights and hotels with points and miles. Choose the right search for your dates, destination, and travelers, compare your options, then book with the loyalty program.
Start with the basics Explore all 47 guidesWhat is AwardTool?
AwardTool is an award-travel search and planning tool for flights and hotel stays bookable with loyalty points and miles. It brings together searches across supported programs, flexible travel discovery, award alerts, and tools for understanding transfer partners and points balances.
Use AwardTool to compare ways to use your points, find dates or destinations with award availability, or monitor a trip you want to book. The airline or hotel loyalty program confirms the final price and availability and completes your booking. Features, supported programs, and search limits depend on your account; see the current plans for details.
START WITH YOUR TRIP
Which AwardTool feature should you use?
| Your travel plans | Feature guide | Availability data & next step |
|---|---|---|
| My route and dates are fixed | Real-Time Search & Mega Search | Live searches for the supported routes, dates, and programs you select. Compare the full itinerary, seats, points, and taxes with the booking program. |
| I can change my destination or travel window | Panorama | Stored award availability across flexible locations and dates. Check the last-seen time, open a promising flight, and refresh where supported. |
| I know the route and want to compare dates | All Routes & route calendars | Stored award dates and cabin prices for a supported route and program. Review Last Refresh and inspect the actual flights behind a calendar price. |
| I am waiting for seats or hotel nights | Award alerts | Real-time flight alerts actively check routes; Panorama alerts scan stored data. Hotel alerts watch a property. Save the dates, travelers, cabin, and budget you can accept. Verify a match before booking. |
| I want ideas or a particular premium cabin | Explore & First Class Explorer | Award discovery results with itinerary and freshness details where available. Check the operating airline, each segment’s cabin, and current availability. |
| I want to book a hotel with points | Hotels & hotel calendars | Property results and individual award nights with points and cash prices. Confirm the complete stay, room type, occupancy, and final terms with the hotel program. |
Planning for a group, a business-class trip, or a limited points balance? Follow the family travel, premium cabin, or points budget workflow.
KNOW YOUR TOOLS
AwardTool feature guides, step by step.
Practical steps. Clear examples. Better decisions.
Getting started
Learn how AwardTool helps you find award flights and hotels, choose the right search, compare points and fees, and continue to the loyalty program to book.
5 min read Read guideReal-Time & Mega Search
Search award flights for your route and dates with AwardTool Real-Time and Mega Search, filter useful itineraries, compare cabins, and review how to book.
5 min read Read guidePanorama & route calendars
Use AwardTool Panorama to explore flexible award destinations, then compare programs and dates with route calendars and check availability before booking.
5 min read Read guideAward alerts
Learn how AwardTool real-time, Panorama, and hotel alerts differ, choose useful filters, set a points budget, and respond when matching availability appears.
5 min read Read guideExplore & First Class Explorer
Use AwardTool Explore and First Class Explorer for award-trip ideas, refine routes and cabins, inspect flights, and verify the program's booking price.
5 min read Read guideAward hotels
Search AwardTool Hotels by location and dates, compare points and cash rates, explore award-night calendars, and set alerts for a property you want to book.
5 min read Read guidePoints & travel tools
Use AwardTool's transfer-partner, card, wallet, preferred-program, and seat-map tools to connect your points to a trip and understand the booking details.
5 min read Read guideChoose your travel scenario
Choose an AwardTool workflow for fixed dates, flexible destinations, family travel, business class, limited points, award hotels, or searches with no results.
7 min read Read guideProgram guides
Understand each loyalty program and learn how to book an award flight.
Aeromexico Rewards
Understand Aeromexico Rewards, compare classic and dynamic awards, and learn how to check partner flights, cash charges and booking rules.
6 min read Read guideAir Canada Aeroplan
Understand Aeroplan flight rewards, distance and travel zones, partner availability and stopovers, with practical steps for booking with points.
6 min read Read guideAir France–KLM Flying Blue
Understand Flying Blue miles, Air France and KLM reward fares, Promo Rewards and partner availability, with practical steps for booking your flight.
6 min read Read guideAlaska and Hawaiian Atmos
Learn how Alaska and Hawaiian's Atmos Rewards program works, compare partner award options, and prepare your points, itinerary and booking checks.
6 min read Read guideAmerican AAdvantage
Learn how American AAdvantage miles work, compare American and partner awards, and follow the steps to confirm availability and book your flight.
6 min read Read guideAvianca LifeMiles
Understand Avianca LifeMiles redemptions, partner flight searches, ticketing and name checks, with a practical workflow for booking an award trip.
6 min read Read guideAzul Fidelidade
Learn how Azul Fidelidade replaced TudoAzul, use points on Azul and Azul pelo Mundo, and compare payment combinations before booking flights.
6 min read Read guideBritish Airways Club
Learn how British Airways Club Avios reward flights work, compare points and cash options, check partner availability, and book the right itinerary.
6 min read Read guideCathay Asia Miles
Learn how Cathay Asia Miles awards work, understand partner and mixed-carrier bookings, and check current pricing before redeeming for your flight.
6 min read Read guideCopa ConnectMiles
Explore Copa ConnectMiles, understand its partner award chart, and learn how to check routes, cabins, cash charges and ticket issuance.
6 min read Read guideDelta SkyMiles
Learn how Delta SkyMiles award searches work, distinguish award tickets from Pay with Miles, compare fare conditions, and confirm your booking.
6 min read Read guideEmirates Skywards
Understand Emirates Skywards Classic Rewards, Cash+Miles and partner flights, including First Class eligibility and how to confirm your booking.
6 min read Read guideEtihad Guest
Learn how Etihad Guest flight rewards and partner bookings work, with steps for checking award availability, fare conditions and cancellation costs.
6 min read Read guideFinnair Plus
Learn how Finnair Plus Avios and Classic awards work, check Helsinki connection pricing and partner booking channels, and book a flight with confidence.
6 min read Read guideGOL Smiles
Learn how GOL Smiles works, compare miles with Smiles & Money, and check partner availability, reservations, baggage and ticket conditions.
6 min read Read guideJAL Mileage Bank
Understand JAL Mileage Bank, Award Ticket PLUS and partner awards, with practical steps for searching, booking and checking cancellation rules.
6 min read Read guideJetBlue TrueBlue
Learn how JetBlue TrueBlue points work, distinguish JetBlue redemptions from partner awards, and compare points, cash and booking flexibility.
6 min read Read guideLufthansa Miles & More
Learn how Miles & More prices Lufthansa and partner awards, compare fare conditions, and follow the steps to book flights using award miles.
6 min read Read guideQantas Frequent Flyer
Understand Qantas Classic and Classic Plus Flight Rewards, partner award tables, mixed cabins and the steps to book flights with Qantas Points.
6 min read Read guideQatar Privilege Club
Understand Qatar Privilege Club Avios, classic and Flexi awards, partner flights and traveler rules, with clear steps to confirm and book an award.
6 min read Read guideSAS EuroBonus
Understand SAS EuroBonus award flights, SkyTeam partner rules and Points + Cash, with practical steps to compare prices and book using points.
6 min read Read guideSingapore KrisFlyer
Learn how Singapore KrisFlyer redemptions work, compare Saver, Advantage and Access, understand waitlists and nominees, and book the right flight.
6 min read Read guideSpirit Free Spirit
Spirit ended flight operations in May 2026. Read the official status of cancelled bookings and Free Spirit points before following older booking guides.
4 min read Read guideTAP Miles&Go
Learn how TAP Miles&Go books TAP and partner awards, understand online versus assisted booking, and check stopovers, cabins and cash charges.
6 min read Read guideTurkish Miles&Smiles
Understand Turkish Miles&Smiles award charts, Promotion awards and Star Alliance booking rules, with clear checks before transferring and ticketing.
6 min read Read guideUnited MileagePlus
Understand United MileagePlus awards, partner availability and account-specific pricing, with practical steps to compare, fund and book your flight.
6 min read Read guideVirgin Atlantic Flying Club
Understand Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points, Saver rewards and partner awards, with practical checks for cash charges, vouchers and booking.
6 min read Read guideVirgin Australia Velocity
Learn how Virgin Australia Velocity Reward Seats differ from Any Seat, compare partner options, and follow practical steps to book with points.
6 min read Read guideProgram comparisons
Compare booking options, award pricing, and the points you can use.
Aeroplan vs United MileagePlus
Compare Aeroplan and United MileagePlus award pricing, partner availability, cash charges and booking rules using current reporting and official sources.
8 min read Read guideAeroplan vs LifeMiles
Compare Aeroplan and LifeMiles using recent redemption guides, current award rules, full cash costs, partner inventory and booking checks.
8 min read Read guideFlying Blue vs Virgin Atlantic
Compare Flying Blue and Virgin Atlantic awards with the September 2026 fare changes, partner booking rules, cash charges and current sources.
8 min read Read guideBritish Airways vs Qatar Avios
Compare British Airways and Qatar Avios booking rules, account linking, award types, cash charges and cancellation deadlines with current sources.
8 min read Read guideAAdvantage vs Atmos Rewards
Compare AAdvantage and Atmos Rewards partner awards, itinerary rules, cancellation checks and recent program changes using linked sources.
8 min read Read guideAeroplan vs KrisFlyer
Compare Aeroplan and Singapore KrisFlyer award availability, Saver, Advantage and Access options, stopovers and booking rules using current sources.
8 min read Read guideBank-transfer comparisons
Compare transfer partners before moving your bank points.
Compare six transferable currencies
Compare six U.S. points currencies using sourced partner differences, transfer ratios, eligibility, timing, bonuses, and booking rules.
7 min read Read guideChase vs. Amex transfers
Compare Chase and Amex transfer partners with recent sourced coverage of shared airlines, distinct partners, ratios, card eligibility, and timing.
7 min read Read guideChase vs. Capital One transfers
Compare Chase and Capital One points transfers using current issuer lists, partner-specific ratios, account requirements, and award-booking guidance.
7 min read Read guideChase vs. Citi transfers
Compare Chase and Citi transfers with sourced AAdvantage and United access, shared airline programs, card-dependent rates, and booking requirements.
7 min read Read guideBilt vs. Chase transfers
Compare Bilt and Chase transfer access using current partner lists, Bilt tier minimums, Hyatt card-dependent rates, and award-booking requirements.
7 min read Read guideLEARN BY DOING
Take the next step inside AwardTool.
Follow an interactive walkthrough, or explore the illustrated feature guides.