Award travel means booking a flight with points or miles instead of paying the full cash fare. The basic idea is simple, but finding and booking an award fare involves a few important steps.
This guide explains those steps in the order you will use them, from understanding where your points live to transferring them when you are ready to book.
Search for an award fare →Start with the points you already have
Most people earn points through a credit card rather than by flying. Those points sit with the bank, not with an airline.
They become airline miles when you move them to an airline program. This is called a transfer. Transfers are generally one-way, so once the points leave the bank, they belong to that airline program.
Transfer partners decide where you can go
Each bank has a specific list of airline programs that accept its points. That list can matter as much as the size of your balance because it determines which programs you can use.
Two people with the same number of points at different banks may have access to different airline programs. That is why the answer to "How many points do I need?" depends on both the trip and the programs your points can reach.
Search for an award fare before you transfer
Airlines make a limited number of award fares available on their flights. When a flight has no award availability, those fares may already be gone or may not have been released for that date.
Availability changes, so an empty search is not a sign that you searched incorrectly. It means you may need to try different dates, routes, or airline programs, or check again later.
Compare the programs that can book the flight
The operating airline may allow partner airline programs to sell the same flight. As a result, one flight can sometimes be booked through several programs at different points prices.
The flight and operating airline stay the same; the airline program that sells you the award fare changes. This distinction also helps explain why a search sometimes shows nothing.
Follow a safe booking order
- Decide where you want to go and roughly when.
- Find an award fare that exists on those dates.
- Confirm which airline program prices it best.
- Check the taxes and surcharges attached to it.
- Only then, transfer your points.
- Book.
Starting with the trip keeps the process focused on points you can use rather than points you might earn. It also lets you confirm the fare, points price, and added charges before making an irreversible transfer.
Decide whether points fit this trip
Award travel is not automatically the best choice for every flight. A short, inexpensive route in a quiet season may be better booked with cash, while points can be more useful for a costly trip. Our guide to choosing between points and cash explains how to compare them.
Once you understand the process, try a real search for a trip you would like to take. It will show you which airline programs your points can reach and what is available for your dates.
See where your points can take you →