Earning points and miles is relatively easy, but if you’re finding it challenging to redeem them—especially for premium cabin flights—there’s a powerful tool that could save you a significant amount of time, miles, and money.
In recent years, numerous third-party platforms have emerged that claim to help you find award seat availability more quickly, eliminating the need to visit various airline loyalty websites.
After experimenting with nearly all of these platforms, I’ve discovered that Seats.aero is by far the most effective. It has become my primary resource for finding award seats across more than a dozen of my preferred airline loyalty programs, dramatically reducing the time I spend deciding where to transfer my credit card points.
Seats.aero provides both free and paid “Pro” versions and operates independently of any airline. The free version allows you to view seat availability for the upcoming 60 days, while the Pro version extends this to a full year and includes advanced filtering and alert options for $9.99 a month or $99.99 for an annual subscription. I use the Pro version, which has proven to be worth the investment multiple times over.
Here’s why Seats.aero has transformed my approach to redeeming points and miles.
Related: Best frequent flyer programs for US travelers
Search Across 19 Airline Loyalty Programs for All Routes and Dates
Currently, Seats.aero supports 19 airline loyalty programs, a number that continues to expand. As of this writing, users can check availability through the following programs:
- Aeromexico Rewards
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue
- Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
- American Airlines AAdvantage
- Azul Brazilian Airlines Fidelidade
- Copa Airlines ConnectMiles
- Delta Air Lines SkyMiles
- Emirates Skywards
- Etihad Airways Guest
- Gol Airlines Smiles
- JetBlue TrueBlue
- Lufthansa Miles & More
- Qantas Frequent Flyer
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles
- United Airlines MileagePlus
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- Virgin Australia Velocity
For instance, I particularly enjoy using Air Canada’s Aeroplan program, my favorite Star Alliance loyalty program, because of its competitive partner redemption rates and an extensive list of airlines, both within and beyond Star Alliance. Additionally, it serves as a transfer partner for various credit card programs.
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If I wish to redeem Aeroplan points for a business class flight to Europe this summer, I would start by selecting Aeroplan from the “Explore” tab in my Pro account and adjust the results to display a complete year of flights from North America to Europe.
This query quickly returns an astonishing 88,468 results—far too many to sift through individually.
However, by utilizing the tool’s impressive filtering capabilities, I can refine the results. I enter “2025-07” for departure dates, indicate my starting point as New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), and cap my search for business class tickets at 70,000 points.
This narrows the options down to a more manageable 187 flights. In July 2025, there are plenty of business class seats available for just 70,000 Aeroplan points on flights to Europe from JFK.
This could mean up to six flights daily, each with at least one seat available during the peak summer travel season—a remarkable opportunity for anyone who has struggled to secure a lie-flat seat to Europe at such a reasonable cost.
Related: The best ways to travel to Europe using points and miles
If you need to accommodate four passengers for a family trip to Europe and still want lie-flat seating, changing the “Seats” filter from one to four reveals 60 different flights in July that can accommodate all four travelers.
Below is just a sample of the options.
Non-stop flights are marked in green, while those with connections are displayed in blue. You can access details like flight duration, airlines, and any layovers by clicking the information button. For example, let’s examine the option to Vienna Airport (VIE) on July 30.
The “Last Seen” column indicates that this seat availability was checked 18 hours ago, suggesting that some seats might have already been booked but don’t worry—the information button will prompt Seats.aero to check current availability for Pro members for that specific date and route.
Several available options remain from New York to Vienna on that date. The first three consist of Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines flights, while the last two are operated by LOT Polish Airlines, easily identifiable by the codes for connecting airports.
The numbers in parentheses represent the number of seats available. The first two options have one seat at that price, while the third option, which includes a single layover, has an impressive six seats available for booking with Aeroplan points (along with the applicable fees, taxes, and surcharges).
For Aeroplan results, any cash fees are displayed in Canadian dollars since it’s based in Canada. A quick Google search can help with currency conversion. It’s worth double-checking the airline’s website, as this tool may not always provide the most accurate breakdown of fees and taxes.
Related: A review of Air Canada business class on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner from Montreal to London
For more detailed information regarding connection times, distances, and aircraft types, simply click the two downward blue arrows next to your preferred itinerary.
The tool also features a (beta) seat map function, which displays each flight’s aircraft layout—a beneficial feature for securing an airline’s top products, such as Qatar Airways’ Qsuite or British Airways’ Club Suite.
This feature allows you to view how many seats are occupied and choose your preferred seating option before confirming your points redemption.
While you still need to choose your seats on the operating airline’s website before or after booking, this tool offers a great way to gauge the seat configuration and check which seats are already taken prior to finalizing your points redemption.
Related: Where is the best seat on an airplane? Here’s how to choose the right seat whenever you fly
Simultaneous Search Across All 19 Programs for Multiple Routes and Dates
Let’s say you have transferable credit card points, such as American Express Membership Rewards points, and you’re looking to book a business-class flight to Europe in July from New York.
You might not be tied to one specific partner, airline, or alliance, but you want to depart on a specific day (let’s use the first Friday in July as an example). You’re flexible regarding which European airport you fly into, as long as you can leave New York on July 4 for a reasonable amount of points or miles.
By using the “Search” tab instead of the “Explore” tab, you can conduct a simultaneous search across all 19 programs for your desired date or date range. You can specify an exact origin and destination or search within a range of airports by entering specific three-letter codes or using “EUR” to capture all major European airports.
Similarly, you can search across multiple U.S. airports using the code “USA.”
Search results will display all flights from JFK to European airports on July 4. Flights will again be shown as nonstop in green and connecting in blue.
If you plan to redeem Amex points, you can filter results by the airline loyalty programs that accept Membership Rewards points. You have the flexibility to select any programs you intend to use if you also have transferable rewards from other card providers, including Bilt Rewards, Capital One miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Citi ThankYou Rewards.
The search results will also include the airline loyalty programs used. For instance, you could book a nonstop flight from JFK to London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) on July 4 in business class for 61,200 Qantas points or 80,000 Etihad Guest miles—both of which are partners of American Express Membership Rewards.
While the Qantas option appears to be more advantageous due to the lower Amex points required, be sure to click the information button to verify carriers, flight timings, and associated fees, taxes, and surcharges.
In this particular case, the Etihad Guest redemption for a JetBlue flight is preferable compared to the American Airlines AAdvantage option with British Airways because JetBlue (and Etihad Guest) do not impose hefty carrier surcharges.
This search functionality is equally useful if you have a specific route in mind but flexible dates. Let’s explore another region.
Securing a business class flight to Australia using points and miles is notoriously challenging.
If you live near San Francisco and want to utilize your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to visit Sydney Airport (SYD) next winter, the search functionality allows you to look for flights within a month either side of January 1, 2026, strictly on that route and only in business class, while filtering results to show only Chase transfer partners.
Search outcomes will reveal several dates in December and January where you could book this route for 115,000 Air Canada Aeroplan points.
After identifying which date works best for you, you can transfer your Chase points to Aeroplan and secure the booking.
Related: Reader success story: How this reader visited 8 countries in 3 years using points and miles
Set Alerts for Availability of Your Preferred Flights
If your desired flight isn’t available during your search, you can set alerts to be notified when it becomes accessible. You’re not restricted to only one route or date; you can select points and miles options as well as multiple departing and connecting airports, date ranges, and classes.
Related: The holy grail of award tickets: Flying Lufthansa first class on the Boeing 747-8
With a Pro membership, you can filter even further to fine-tune your travel preferences, including:
- The number of seats you’d like to see available on the flight
- The maximum number of points or miles you’re willing to spend
- The maximum fees, taxes, and surcharges you’re willing to pay
- Your tolerance for connections (or if you want to see only nonstop flights)
- Specific flight numbers you want to prioritize
You can also disable dynamic pricing results if you prefer to see only the lowest saver-level prices.
When my preferred option isn’t available, I sometimes book an acceptable alternative flight that is available. Subsequently, I set alerts for better options and can receive notifications by email (for free accounts) or SMS (for Pro accounts), allowing me to upgrade swiftly as new flights become available.
Useful Tools for Your Preferred Program and Product
Seats.aero offers a range of useful tools. Here are some of the standout features:
- ANA First Class Finder: This tool instantly displays all available first-class award seats on flights operated by All Nippon Airways, ideal if you’re looking to book with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points, which don’t show on Virgin’s site. Find available seats via Seats.aero, then call Virgin Atlantic to book at significantly lower rates than offered by United MileagePlus or Velocity.
- Lufthansa First Class Finder: Lufthansa occasionally releases unsold first-class seats for partner loyalty programs up to 14 days before departure, though most availability is added shortly before flight. This tool reveals all seats available by route and date along with the prices charged by supported programs. Aeroplan generally offers the best value for booking Lufthansa first class after the recent devaluation of Avianca LifeMiles.
- Qatar Qsuite Finder: Qatar Airways’ Qsuite is my top-rated business class product, but it’s not available on all aircraft and routes. This Seats.aero tool will highlight flights featuring this product, along with availability for booking with your preferred mileage currency, prices, and dates. You can specify filters to show flights based on your preferred regions, such as routes from the U.S. to Hamad International Airport (DOH).
- United Upgrade/PlusPoints Finder: If you’re a Premier Platinum, Premier 1K, or Global Services elite member of United’s MileagePlus program and wish to use PlusPoints for upgrades, this tool will help you find all flight routes and dates with PZ and PN availability, vital for redeeming PlusPoints. You can filter results based on your preferred airport, date, or flight number.
How Does Seats.aero Stack Up Against Other Third-Party Tools?
Many independent tools have been designed to assist travelers in easily locating award seats, chiefly for those with transferable points who may feel overwhelmed by their options.
I have tested a range of other tools, each with unique advantages and drawbacks:
- ExpertFlyer (owned by Flying Frugal’s parent company, Red Ventures): Some airlines are no longer supported, and you can only search one route at a time over a seven-day period.
- Point.me: This platform scans more programs than the 19 supported by Seats.aero, but results take a while to load. You can only search one route for one date, plus the days before and after.
- Points Path: Functions exclusively within Google Flights’ parameters.
- Roame: The free version supports only 11 airline loyalty programs, allowing searches for just one route at a time.
Conclusion
Seats.aero is not without its flaws. For instance, I wish it better remembered my preferences, like displaying all available flights during searches (instead of limiting to just 25 per page). It also lacks some big-name airline loyalty programs, such as an Avios option. Nevertheless, considering how rapidly the platform has expanded its features and the number of airline programs, I’m optimistic regarding its ongoing development.
This tool has fundamentally altered my daily search for award availability due to its remarkable ability to search an entire year’s worth of data in mere seconds—eliminating the tedious process of checking day by day, week by week, or month by month. When compared to other innovative third-party tools created for travelers, I’ve found Seats.aero to be the most useful and user-friendly.
If you possess transferable credit card points and seek optimal value, regardless of fixed or flexible dates and routes, Seats.aero can instantly demonstrate how best to redeem your points and miles while booking the most comfortable seats at the lowest prices.
