Redeeming your frequent flyer points for reward flights is arguably the most rewarding part of the points chase! But it can also be the most frustrating part. Searching for award flight availability can be a painstaking task as reward seats are limited. With demand for reward seats often far outweighing supply, finding an award on a flight you want can be like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
But it doesn’t have to be this way! Over the years, a number of useful online tools and resources have been developed to simplify award availability searches. Thanks to powerful tools such as Award Nexus, the KVS Tool and Expert Flyer, it is now possible to find award availability quickly, reliably and without overlooking available flights.
In further good news for frequent flyers, a new Google Chrome application called “Award.Flights” has recently been released. The App is so far proving a useful addition to the frequent flyer “toolkit”. At the click of a button, the App can search for availability on Star Alliance or oneworld airlines – or both – all at the same time. The results are then presented as an easy-to-read matrix.
As I understand it, the app is essentially automating a process which you would do yourself. The app does the exact same things you would do to search for availability, except with no further clicking on your part and filtering the results into a neat matrix.
So far the App has attracted some highly positive reviews…
I’ve found it a huge timesaver already! Previously was checking ~1 month of availability twice a day on BA and it took ages. It’s great that I can let this tool run and check on the results as they appear.
The App not only saves time, but it also comes with the option to filter the results by airline, class of travel and connection point. This could be a useful feature if you want to search for flights using your Qantas points, but don’t want the results “contaminated” with mixed-class awards or Jetstar flights.
Initial thoughts are quite good! BA searching can be slow as the tool searches each day separately, however the format of the results is excellent, including the option to filter out mixed-class awards (“Restrictive”) to only those classes you want. For example, those pesky long-haul Y segments in QF J award results.
The Chrome App can currently be used to search for award availability on all oneworld and Star Alliance airlines, as well as Etihad Airways. In order to start searching, you will need to provide your frequent flyer account details for numerous frequent flyer programs in the initial setup process. When using the App, these details are used to log in to the relevant airline website and search on your behalf. Some members have expressed concern about having their data stored within the App, however the majority of members feel that there is little to no risk involved. It’s worth nothing that the KVS Tool has a similar requirement, though Award Nexus does not.
Find out more and join the discussion HERE.
