How I Use Google Flights to Strategically Plan Award Travel with Points

Traveling on points and miles can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. One of my favorite tools that makes the process easier is Google Flights. It’s free, flexible, and so user-friendly. Whether you’re planning a quick weekend getaway or a bucket-list international trip, Google Flights is usually where I start.

Why Flexibility is Everything in Award Travel

One of the biggest secrets to getting amazing deals with points and miles is flexibility. That might mean being open to flying into a different airport, traveling in the shoulder season, or adjusting your dates by a few days.

When I’m booking travel, I usually start searching:

• 1–3 months in advance for domestic flights
• 4–12 months ahead for international flights

Google Flights makes this kind of flexible searching a breeze.

How to Use Google Flights Like a Pro

Here’s how I use Google Flights to find great deals:

1. Start Broad. I enter my departure city but leave the destination blank.
2. Use the Map View. This shows you prices to cities all over the world.
3. Set Flexible Dates. I love using the “Flexible Dates” feature to see the cheapest times to fly.
4. Turn on Price Tracking. You can toggle the tracker and Google will email you when prices drop.
5. Search One-Way Fares. I prefer searching one-way flights because it allows me to be flexible in my travel planning as well as not beholden to airlines’ flight routes. For example, for our Italy trip, we flew on Emirates from the US to Milan and Air France out of Rome back to the US.

It’s a powerful way to uncover hidden gems and price dips.

Booking with Points Through Airline Partners

Even if you find a great cash fare, there’s a good chance you can book it using points instead. This is where knowing your airline alliances comes in handy:

• OneWorld: American, British Airways, Iberia, Qatar, JAL, Qantas, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Royal Jordanian, etc.
• SkyTeam: Delta, Air France, KLM, Korean Air, Aeromexico, ITA Airways, etc.
• Star Alliance: United, Lufthansa, ANA, Air Canada, Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, Singapore, ANA, Asiana, Turkish, etc.

Let’s say Google Flights shows a cheap fare on United, but you have Amex Membership Rewards points. While you can’t transfer directly to United, you can transfer to Air Canada Aeroplan or Singapore Airlines (both Star Alliance partners) and book the same flight if there is award availability.

Pro Tip: Use Transfer Partner Cheat Sheets

I always keep a cheat sheet of which points transfer where. It helps me quickly figure out which of my credit cards or points currencies can help cover the flight I found.

Why Google Flights Works So Well with Award Travel

Google Flights shows you cash prices, but it helps you plan your award bookings more strategically. Once I find a good deal, I hop over to my favorite award search tools or airline sites and plug in the same route and dates to see if I can book with points.

This is exactly how we’ve flown our family of four to Europe, Mexico, and NYC using points, and how we continue to travel affordably.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Learning to travel with points might seem overwhelming at first, but it really just comes down to being flexible and using the right tools. Google Flights isn’t a magic wand, but it’s something I personally use all the time to plan trips more strategically. It helps me spot great cash fares, find award routes, and map out options that align with the points I’ve earned. I’ve used it to book everything from quick weekend getaways to family vacations abroad.

If you’re new to using points and miles, you don’t need to know it all today. Start with one tool, get comfortable with how your cards earn and transfer points, and go from there. Got questions? I’d love to hear from you in the comments.