Where to Search for Award Flights
Search for award flights on the airline's own website where you plan to redeem miles. Each airline shows their own award availability, and some also show partner airline availability if they're in the same alliance.
Best Search Tools by Program
- United MileagePlus: Search on United.com. Shows United flights and Star Alliance partner awards (Lufthansa, Air Canada, ANA, Singapore, etc.).
- Southwest Rapid Rewards: Search on Southwest.com. Southwest only flies its own planes (no partners).
- Delta SkyMiles: Search on Delta.com. Shows Delta flights and SkyTeam partner awards (Air France, KLM, Virgin Atlantic, etc.).
- American AAdvantage: Search on AA.com. Shows American flights and Oneworld partner awards (British Airways, Qantas, Cathay Pacific, etc.).
- Air France/Flying Blue: Search on AirFrance.com. Transfer Chase/Capital One points 1:1.
Always search on the airline's website where your miles are. Don't search on Google Flights or Kayak for award availability—those tools only show cash prices, not award space.
How to Search: Step-by-Step (United Example)
- Log in to United.com (or create a free MileagePlus account)
- Select "Book with miles" toggle at the top of the flight search
- Enter your origin, destination, and dates
- Set "Flexible dates" to see award availability across a wider date range (±3 days)
- Select cabin class: Economy, Premium Economy, Business, or First
- Search and review results
United shows two pricing tiers:
- Saver awards: Lower fixed mileage cost (e.g., 12,500 miles one-way domestic economy). Limited availability.
- Everyday awards: Higher dynamic mileage cost (15,000-30,000+ miles). More availability.
Filter by "Saver" to see only the cheapest awards. Saver availability is limited, so book early (3-6 months in advance for domestic, 6-12 months for international).
Understanding Award Space vs Cash Seats
Award space is the number of seats an airline makes available for redemption with miles. Just because a flight has empty seats doesn't mean it has award availability. Airlines control how many seats they release for awards.
Example: A United flight from NYC to LAX has 50 empty seats. United might release 4 seats for saver awards (12,500 miles) and 10 seats for everyday awards (20,000 miles). The remaining 36 seats are cash-only.
This is why you might see a flight available for $200 cash but no saver awards. The airline wants cash, not miles, for those seats.
Flexible Dates Are Critical
Award availability varies dramatically by date. A route might have zero saver awards on Friday but plenty on Tuesday. Always search with flexible dates enabled.
United's flexible date calendar shows availability for ±3 days around your selected date. Green circles = saver awards available. Orange/yellow = everyday awards only. No circle = no award space.
Strategy: If your preferred date has no saver awards, check nearby dates. Shifting your trip by 1-2 days can save 10,000-20,000 miles.
Searching One-Way vs Round-Trip
Always search one-way first. Most airlines price awards per segment, so round-trip is just two one-way awards. Searching one-way gives you more flexibility to mix airlines, dates, and routings.
Example: You want to fly NYC to Tokyo round-trip.
- Outbound: United saver award for 35,000 miles (available on Tuesday)
- Return: ANA saver award for 35,000 miles (available on Wednesday, but United is sold out)
If you searched round-trip, you'd miss the ANA availability on the return. Searching one-way lets you book the best option for each direction.
How to Search Partner Airlines
Partner airlines are other airlines whose flights you can book using your miles. Airlines within the same alliance share award space.
Alliances
- Star Alliance: United, Lufthansa, Air Canada, ANA, Singapore, Swiss, etc. (26 airlines)
- Oneworld: American, British Airways, Qantas, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, etc. (14 airlines)
- SkyTeam: Delta, Air France, KLM, Virgin Atlantic, Korean Air, etc. (19 airlines)
When you search on United.com, United shows availability for United-operated flights and Star Alliance partner flights. You can book a Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to Munich using United miles, even though United doesn't fly that route.
Important: Partner availability isn't always visible on the main airline's website. United shows most Star Alliance partners, but some airlines (like Lufthansa business class or Air Canada close-in awards) might require calling United's phone line to book.
Saver vs Standard (Everyday) Awards
Most airlines have tiered award pricing:
Saver Awards
- Fixed low mileage cost
- Limited availability (typically 1-4 seats per flight)
- Released 330-365 days before departure
- Best value per mile
Standard/Everyday Awards
- Higher dynamic mileage cost (1.5-3x saver pricing)
- More availability
- Pricing fluctuates based on demand (like cash tickets)
- Worse value per mile, but available when saver isn't
Strategy: Always try to book saver awards. Only use standard awards if:
- Your dates are inflexible and no saver awards exist
- The standard award price is still better than the portal redemption
- You have points expiring soon and need to use them
What If There's No Award Availability?
Award space can open up closer to departure. Airlines release additional award seats 2-4 weeks before departure if the flight isn't selling well. Check back frequently (weekly or daily) if you're flexible.
Other options:
- Change dates: Shift travel by 1-3 days
- Change airports: Fly into a nearby airport and drive/train to your destination
- Book positioning flights: Fly to a hub city with better award availability, then continue to your destination
- Use a different airline: If United has no space, check Air Canada or Lufthansa for the same route
- Use the portal: Redeem Chase points at 1.25¢ through the portal if award space doesn't exist
Advanced Search Tips
- Search city pairs, not specific flights: Let the search engine show you all options, not just the 8am departure
- Search short segments separately: NYC to Tokyo might show no space, but NYC to San Francisco + San Francisco to Tokyo might both be available
- Check both directions: Sometimes round-trip availability exists but one direction sells out
- Use award alerts: Set up free alerts on ExpertFlyer or airline websites to notify you when award space opens
How Far in Advance Should You Book?
Book as early as possible for international travel (6-12 months out). Airlines release award space 330-365 days before departure. Premium cabin awards (business, first) disappear quickly.
Domestic travel: 1-3 months is usually sufficient for economy. Premium cabins still book fast.
Most airlines allow free changes or cancellations on award tickets (Southwest has no change fees; United charges $0 for changes but you pay any fare difference). Book early, then change dates if needed.
Common Award Search Mistakes
- Searching Google Flights for awards: Google shows cash prices, not award availability
- Only searching exact dates: Missing saver awards on nearby dates
- Not checking partner airlines: United might be sold out, but Lufthansa has space
- Waiting too long to book: Premium cabin awards disappear 6+ months before departure
- Assuming no availability means no flight: The flight exists, but all award seats are taken
Next Steps
Now you know how to search for award flights. The next lesson walks through the complete booking process from search to confirmation.
Move to Lesson 14: Booking Your First Award (Full Walkthrough).