I’m writing a collection of posts about among the instruments and companies I most use for managing, incomes, and redeeming factors. Whereas I usually point out these web sites and companies in passing, I’ve by no means written devoted posts about them, in order that’s what I’m attempting to do now.
On this put up I wished to speak about how and why I exploit Seats.aero, which is an award search instrument that’s helpful even for those who’re a complicated miles and factors geek. In separate posts I talked about Google Flights, AwardWallet, ExpertFlyer, level.me, aeroLOPA, and extra.
What’s Seats.aero?
Seats.aero is an award search instrument that may present you award availability throughout complete areas, permits you to search with on the spot outcomes, and likewise permits you to create free alerts to search out award flights. Seats.aero helps 13 frequent flyer applications, and it may be superior for those who’re in search of a premium cabin award that may be arduous to get, whether or not that’s a Lufthansa first-class award seat, or a Qatar Airways enterprise class award seat.
So far as award search instruments go, I’d say that Seats.aero and level.me are type of opposites:
- Seats.aero is most helpful for these of us who’re big factors nerds, and who know precisely how rewards currencies work, and know precisely what we’re in search of
- level.me is most helpful for everybody else (which is a a lot smaller portion of our neighborhood, however a a lot larger portion of the general inhabitants), because it demystifies the world of first and enterprise class redemptions, with a complete search instrument that walks you thru the method of reserving
How a lot does Seats.aero price?
One superior factor about Seats.aero is that you should use the location totally free, although with restricted capabilities. Nonetheless, I’d say the free companies can add a variety of worth. Alternatively, you should buy a professional plan for $9.99 monthly or $99.99 per yr. That gives the next three main incremental perks (along with supporting the location):
- The power to look award area for a full yr, moderately than solely 60 days prematurely
- The power to create alerts with superior filters
- The power to obtain textual content notifications for alerts, moderately than simply e mail notifications
How do you utilize Seats.aero?
What makes Seats.aero distinctive is that you just don’t truly carry out any award searches individually. As a substitute, Seats.aero refreshes all award availability for its supported applications a number of instances per day, after which you’ll be able to basically search the database to see what’s obtainable. That’s superior when it comes to how shortly you’ll be able to search availability.
The catch is that since these searches aren’t carried out in actual time, award availability might not at all times be correct. So at all times cross reference what you see on Seats.aero with this system you’d e-book via, so that you just don’t switch factors based mostly on availability that’s not there. Some premium cabin award seats can disappear actually shortly. Let’s check out all of this in a bit extra element.
Seats.aero helps 13 frequent flyer applications
Seats.aero at present searches award area via 13 frequent flyer applications, most of which accomplice with main transferable factors currencies. These applications embody the next:
- Aeromexico Membership Premier
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue
- Alaska Mileage Plan
- American AAdvantage
- Avianca LifeMiles
- Delta SkyMiles
- Emirates Skywards
- Qantas Frequent Flyer
- SAS EuroBonus
- United MileagePlus
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership
- Virgin Australia Velocity
Seats.aero particular route award finders
Once you go to the “Routes” part of Seats.aero, you’ll be able to click on on any of the above applications, after which see award availability on quite a lot of routes over a large set of dates. For instance, say you choose Emirates Skywards as this system.
You’ll see a listing of all routes that Seats.aero has award availability for on Emirates.
You possibly can additional customise this by simply typing an airport code into the search bar on the high proper. For instance, I entered “IAH,” so I may see award availability to and from Houston. On the following web page I may choose which course I wish to see availability for, and will then click on “Discover availability.”
You’ll then see a chronological show with all dates which have award availability.
You too can type this by class of service. By clicking on the “First” column, I may see all of the dates within the subsequent 60 days with first-class award availability (with a paid subscription, you would see availability for a complete yr).
Seats.aero particular product award finders
Considered one of my favourite issues about Seats.aero is that for those who go to the “Instruments” part, you’ll see a number of search choices which might be particular to sure merchandise. For instance, there’s a Lufthansa first-class finder, and a Qatar Airways enterprise class finder.
For those who click on the “Lufthansa First Class Finder,” you’ll see a chronological record of all Lufthansa flights which have first-class award availability.
It would default to exhibiting all routes, however within the high proper you’ll see a search instrument, the place you’ll be able to sort in an airport code, if you wish to slim down outcomes to a single airport. For instance, I typed in “IAD,” to see award availability to and from that airport.
An analogous characteristic exists for Qatar Airways enterprise class, the place you’ll see a chronological record of all Qatar Airways enterprise class awards.
Very similar to with Lufthansa, you’ll be able to enter an airport code, and then you definitely’ll see choices narrowed all the way down to that airport. You too can search by area, beneath the “Present flights from” part.
Seats.aero award alerts
Seats.aero permits you to create free award alerts, which is superior. Nonetheless, this doesn’t work the identical means as award alerts with ExpertFlyer, for instance. With Seats.aero award alerts, you’ll be able to specify this system, the date of journey, the origin, the vacation spot, and the category of service.
You’ll then be alerted when Seats.aero finds any obtainable itinerary. For instance, for those who set an alert for Boston to Doha (hoping for nonstop availability), you’ll be alerted if there’s any award route that turns into obtainable between the 2 cities. This might embody a British Airways routing via London, or an American and Qatar Airways routing via one other metropolis. There’s no strategy to request to solely be alerted if a nonstop flight turns into obtainable.
So this may be actually helpful, simply have the proper expectations.
Backside line
For those who’re somebody who loves looking for award availability, then completely add a bookmark to Seats.aero. The service always refreshes award availability throughout over a dozen frequent flyer applications, after which presents that availability in a simple to know means.
This web site may even be used totally free with some limitations, and it may be an effective way to search out among the extra unicorn awards on the market, whether or not it’s Lufthansa first-class or Qatar Airways enterprise class.
Like I stated, this isn’t a instrument I’d advocate sending to your good friend who’s simply studying tips on how to use factors. Nonetheless, for these of us who know what we’re doing, Seats.aero can prevent time, and likewise simply usually be enjoyable to browse to get an total sense of award availability tendencies.
For those who’ve used Seats.aero, what was your expertise like?
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