Google Flights With Points? AI Mode vs. AwardFares

Google can now show flight prices in points or miles through AI Mode in Search. You can describe a trip and ask what it costs using a supported rewards program. Google announced the feature on August 27, 2026.

If you’ve been looking for Google Flights with points, this is worth knowing about. The new feature is in AI Mode. Google’s announcement doesn’t confirm it for the standard Google Flights page.

We tried it for several itineraries from New York to Buenos Aires. Both tools showed the same mileage price for the nonstop flight. AwardFares also showed connecting options at lower mileage prices, with long layovers to consider. Follow up questions exposed uncertainty about Google’s results and an alert it had said it created.

In this post, we explain why AwardFares is still a better choice for travelers who want to compare programs, explore dates, and track award seats. With our live award search, you can compare prices and availability across supported programs, then save useful flights or set an alert for the seats you need.

We’ll use these searches and examples from our own trips to explain what each feature helps you do, where Google may be enough, and when AwardFares gives you more control.

Can Google Flights Show Prices in Points or Miles?

The new feature is in AI Mode in Google Search. An award flight is a flight booked with points or miles. To try Google’s award search, start in AI Mode and name your route, dates, and rewards program.

We tested Google AI Mode without signing in. Our starting request was for New York JFK to Buenos Aires EZE on November 12, 2026, for two adults in Business Class using AAdvantage miles. We asked for the price per person, the total for two, and taxes.

Google returned three options. Its summary put the lowest at 339,000 miles per person, or 678,000 miles for two, via Miami. It also showed a nonstop option at 450,000 miles per person. Being able to ask once and see those totals is useful.

Google's initial answer gave a mileage price per person and a total for two passengers.

The three options show mileage totals for two people. The nonstop appears at 900,000 miles in total, equivalent to 450,000 per person.

Our separate AwardFares Flight Details capture showed the same 450,000 mile price for nonstop AA953, with $5.60 in tax per person and four reported Business Class seats. For that flight, the displayed mileage prices agreed. AwardFares also showed the aircraft, update status, and controls to refresh or save the flight.

Our AwardFares capture shows an option at 171,500 miles per person on AA3021 and AA907 via Miami, with a reported seat count of four in Business Class. That itinerary took 35 hours and 40 minutes, including 23 hours and 11 minutes in Miami. You might accept that connection to spend fewer miles, or decide the shorter trip is worth more.

The lower priced connections were different itineraries. The captures also lack matching update times and airline checkout confirmation, so the difference is not a verified saving on the same flight. What the AwardFares result gives you is another concrete option to consider, with its price, flights, connection, and reported seats together.

AwardFares showed additional Business Class options for this route. One cost 171,500 miles per person, with a 23 hour 11 minute connection in Miami.

Sorting the AwardFares list from the highest Business Class price also showed several options at 450,000 miles per person via Dallas Fort Worth. You can compare the price with the total travel time and the connection before choosing a flight.

These 450,000 mile options connect in Dallas Fort Worth. They are different itineraries from the nonstop AA953 discussed above.

What Happened When We Asked About the Data?

The follow up was less clear. AI Mode first presented the flights as available. When we asked about the source and freshness, it described the earlier results as simulated and later said they were not live inventory.

A second answer said the earlier results were not live inventory and directed us to American's website.

That is what the conversation said. It does not establish how Google’s flight integration actually works. Google describes partner supplied award data in its announcement. The matching nonstop mileage price is useful evidence to keep in mind when reading that exchange. We did not confirm the Google prices at airline checkout.

In AwardFares, you can open Flight Details to see the program and update time, then use Refresh to check again within your plan’s limits. A live search checks the trip you enter. You still confirm the final price and seats with the airline. Our award search tools guide explains why the data matters as much as how you ask the question.

Google also announced flight price tracking and hotel booking. Flight awards are booked on the partner website. Forbes Advisor’s launch coverage explains the three features. Points Path, a separate browser extension, adds award prices to Google Flights. Our Points Path comparison covers that option.

Availability also depends on your location. Google’s flight price tracking rollout excludes the European Economic Area (EEA). Its separate points and miles footnote says some shown features are unavailable there, without saying that all award searches are excluded. Check what is available in your location and language. Google’s announcement includes both footnotes.

1. Compare Programs Before You Spend or Transfer Points

AI Mode gives you a simple starting point: name the miles you have and describe the flight you want. If you have American miles, for example, include AAdvantage in your question.

In AwardFares, select the programs you can use and compare them in one search. We currently support 17 loyalty programs, including AAdvantage, Atmos Rewards, EuroBonus, and Flying Blue. Our program list shows current coverage. Your plan determines how many you can search at once.

In our tests, requests about Atmos Rewards and Qantas Frequent Flyer produced general guidance rather than confirmed award options. The response discussed possible partner prices and said no Business Class seats were available. We could not establish that it had searched Atmos inventory, so we have not treated that answer as a confirmed search with no seats.

Google’s announcement does list Alaska Airlines / Hawaiian Airlines among its initial partners. That does not establish that our request for American partner awards through Atmos was supported in the session we used. Qantas is not on that launch list.

In AwardFares, you can select AAdvantage, Atmos Rewards, Qantas Frequent Flyer, and other supported programs directly. Our results showed the same American itinerary through AAdvantage and Atmos. For AA1063 and AA907 via Miami, Economy appeared at 27,500 AAdvantage miles with four reported seats, or 30,000 Atmos points with nine. Business Class appeared through AAdvantage at 194,500 miles, while the Atmos row showed none.

Select the programs you can use before comparing the results. The number you can search at once depends on your plan.

You can compare what each program reports for a specific itinerary, even when one has no seats in your preferred cabin. Here, Atmos offered an Economy option. For Business Class, the visible results were through AAdvantage. Check our program list before searching, since we do not cover every loyalty program.

Economy class options show 27,500 AAdvantage miles and 30,000 Atmos points per person.

The same flight can cost a different number of miles through another program. The number of seats available can differ too. Our results group the booking options for each flight, with miles, taxes, and seat counts where the program provides them. The Flight List guide explains how to compare the results.

If you have credit card points that transfer to airline programs, compare the eligible programs before choosing where to send them. AwardFares helps you find the flight. Check the transfer rules with your card provider and confirm the seats with the program that will issue the ticket.

For Tahiti, I booked Miami to Papeete via Los Angeles for 40,000 AAdvantage miles plus $5.60 per person. We flew American Airlines to Los Angeles and Air Tahiti Nui to Papeete. Both flights were booked as an Economy award. The cash price I recorded for that itinerary was $3,371 per person. My booking report includes both prices.

I’d also found a EuroBonus option for 54,000 points plus about $300 per person. The lower mileage price and taxes made AAdvantage the better choice for this part of the trip.

2. Find Enough Seats at the Price You Want

AI Mode understood that we wanted two passengers. Its summary separated the mileage price per person from the total for two. That is helpful when you are working out whether you have enough miles.

There was a detail to check: the result cards paired the combined mileage total with ARS 16,882 in taxes, while the written summary described that tax amount as per person. We would confirm the full cash payment before booking.

The written summary separated individual prices from totals.

In AwardFares, you can set the number of passengers, cabin, and price limit before searching. Our search capture shows a reported count of four beside the 171,500 mile Business Class option. That gives you a quantity to check as well as a price. Confirm the total for everyone with the airline program before transferring points.

3. Compare Nearby Dates in One View

You can describe a range of dates in AI Mode without entering each date separately. We asked about departures from November 10 through November 17. The captured result showed a round trip from November 17 to December 3, followed by a summary of nonstop and connecting options. That changed the trip being priced from our original departure search.

The result changed to a round trip from November 17 to December 3. Its prices therefore describe a different trip from the original departure search.

The response compared nonstop and connecting routes, but did not give a result for each departure date.

When we asked which dates it had checked, Google named November 17 and marked November 10 through November 16 as unknown. The follow up helped explain the gap, but it did not give us award results for each departure date.

The follow up named one date and marked the other seven unknown. This records what the answer said about its date coverage.

Our Timeline View shows availability across dates and cabins on one screen. In our capture, the JFK to EZE timeline spans November and December. Hovering over December 23 shows availability counts and an update age of two minutes. Those numbers describe availability, not mileage prices, and the timestamp belongs to that date.

You can use this view to choose dates to explore, then inspect their flights and prices. Refresh the dates you want to check, since results in the Timeline may have been collected earlier. Check each date’s update time.

Timeline View makes nearby dates visible together. The tooltip shows availability counts and the update age for December 23. This broader view is a feature example, not a price comparison for the exact Google date window.

I used flexible dates to find American Business Class from New York to Buenos Aires for 60,000 AAdvantage miles plus about $100. Nearby dates cost much more. My trip report shows what I booked.

If your destination can change too, Broad Search lets you explore results by country or continent. These are results collected earlier. Run a live search to check a flight that interests you.

Add nearby airports to see whether a different departure or arrival point would save enough miles to justify changing your plans.

4. Check the Aircraft and Cabin

AI Mode can help explain a cabin or seat. In our test, it identified AA953, named a Boeing 777, and described Business Class seats that lie flat. It even linked to AwardFares among the sources for its seat explanation. That can be useful background, though a citation does not confirm the aircraft scheduled for your travel date.

Google explained the seat on AA953 and linked to AwardFares among its sources. We still recommend checking the scheduled aircraft for your travel date.

In AwardFares, you can use aircraft and cabin filters while comparing the award results. Opening AA953 showed a Boeing 777, a 22:00 departure from JFK, and arrival at EZE at 10:40 the next morning. The Business Class option displayed 450,000 AAdvantage miles plus $5.60 in tax per person, and four available seats.

You can inspect the flight, price, and data age in the same panel, then use Refresh, open the Seat Map, or add the flight to a Journey. The update status tells you when AwardFares last updated that result. You still confirm the final booking with the airline.

Our search screenshots also show Mix labels on several Premium Economy and First Class options. Those labels tell you to inspect the cabin on each flight before choosing a connecting itinerary.

When I wanted to try Japan Airlines’ new Airbus A350 from New York to Tokyo, some dates still had the older Boeing 777. I used the aircraft filter and Timeline View in AwardFares to find the A350.

The results showed four or more seats in Economy and Premium Economy. I booked one Premium Economy seat for 50,000 AAdvantage miles plus $5.60. My JAL trip report shows the search and the flight.

A Business Class result may include a connecting flight in Economy. This is called a mixed cabin trip. Check the cabin on each flight, then open the Seat Map if you want to see the layout.

Airlines can change the aircraft. A Seat Map shows seat assignments and the cabin layout. It doesn’t prove that those seats are available with miles.

5. Get an Alert When the Seats You Want Appear

Google says you can ask AI Mode to track flight prices and receive an email when they change. That’s useful if you’re watching a cash fare. The announcement doesn’t confirm alerts for new award seats.

We asked it to watch for two Business Class seats from JFK to EZE on November 12, at no more than 100,000 AAdvantage miles per person. The response said it had recorded the criteria, was actively tracking, and would send an automatic notification.

The first response said monitoring was active and promised an automatic notification. No saved alert controls appeared in this capture.

We then asked what the alert watched and where we could manage it. The next answer said no real alert had been created and there was no dashboard for it. It also linked to AwardFares while explaining dedicated award alerts.

The conversation gave us no reliable confirmation of a saved award alert. Our test does not establish what every Google account can do, and we did not test Google’s separate cash fare tracking feature.

AwardFares Alerts let you save criteria and manage them in your account. Create an alert from your search, check the saved route and filters, then edit or delete it from the Alerts page. You can see what you have asked us to watch.

Our AwardFares example uses a broader search: JFK to EZE from November 9 through November 15, Business Class, with a maximum of 250,000 AAdvantage miles per person. The screen shows seven Live Alerts being edited, one for each date. You can change the date range and price limit as your plans change, and see how many alerts the settings use.

Set up a Live Alert: seven dates, one route, specific cabins, number of passengers, and a mileage limit you can adjust.

A Live Alert repeats searches for your chosen routes, dates, and programs. A Flex Alert looks for matches in availability already found across AwardFares. It can cover broader plans, such as several countries or no fixed destination. Live Alerts send email notifications and optional push notifications. Flex Alerts use push notifications. Our Alerts guide explains both.

Set the number of passengers, cabin, and mileage price you’re willing to pay. We notify you when we detect a match. An alert doesn’t reserve the seats, so check the result with the airline before booking.

In 2024, I arrived in Japan without a return ticket. A few days after I set up alerts, an email showed two ANA Business Class seats from Tokyo Haneda to Frankfurt, with a Lufthansa connection to São Paulo. I confirmed the seats and booked them with EuroBonus and an Amex companion voucher. The ANA trip report includes the alert and booking confirmation.

That was before SAS left Star Alliance, so the same EuroBonus booking isn’t possible now. But the benefit of the alert is the same: I didn’t have to repeat those searches every day while I was in Japan.

6. Keep All the Flights Together

Google lets you discuss flights and hotels in the same conversation, which can help you plan the stay as well as the journey. Our captures include a round trip result.

Our Journey Planner lets you save flight results from Search and put them in travel order. Each saved flight keeps its program, cabin, price, and reported number of seats. Add another option to compare the flights before deciding what to book.

For this example, we added the November 12 outbound via Miami and a December 4 nonstop return on AA954. The Journey shows 171,500 AAdvantage miles per person for outbound Business Class and 203,500 for the return, with four reported seats in each direction. These are saved options, not tickets we booked.

The dates make the connection easier to understand. AA3021 leaves JFK on November 12, but AA907 leaves Miami the next evening and reaches Buenos Aires on November 14. Journey Planner marks the 23 hour 11 minute layover and shows the time in Buenos Aires before the return. You can see how the cheaper option affects your trip before choosing it.

The Journey keeps the flight order, mileage options, and reported seats visible, with controls to add flights, share the plan, or copy it.

If you’ve found an outbound flight but still need a return, save the first flight in a Journey and create an alert for the return. The Journey keeps the plan. The alert keeps searching.

Use Flight Schedules to check planned flights, times, and aircraft for a date. When you’re ready, share a link to the Journey with someone traveling with you.

Saving a Journey doesn’t reserve the flights or prices. You still book through the airline program. Separate tickets also remain separate: saving them together doesn’t mean one airline will rebook you if you miss a flight on another ticket.

AwardFares vs. Google AI Mode: Quick Comparison

The Google column describes our captured session and test notes. The AwardFares column combines the supplied screenshots, linked product documentation, and the historical trips identified above. Prices from different itineraries or capture times are not a verified saving on the same flight.

Is AwardFares Worth Paying For If Google Can Search Awards?

Yes, if you want to compare programs and dates, find seats for everyone traveling, or set alerts for seats you haven’t found yet. Our paid plans give you the searches, filters, alerts, and planning tools for those tasks.

Google may be enough if you have one supported program, know your route and dates, and the airline confirms the price and seats for everyone traveling. If that covers your needs, you may not need a paid award search tool. We’d recommend AwardFares when you want to compare more options or keep looking with alerts.

I also used Google Flights for a cash fare comparison in my Tahiti report. That remains a useful part of an award booking decision: check whether paying cash makes more sense before spending your miles.

AwardFares Basic is free and lets you preview results collected earlier. Gold adds live searches, Live and Flex Alerts, Journey Planner, and Flight Schedules. Diamond gives you higher search and alert limits. Check the current plans for prices and what’s included. The trial of paid features is separate from Basic.

Which Tool Should You Use for Your Next Award Trip?

For trips that need several programs, flexible dates, or award alerts, we recommend starting with AwardFares. Our tools let you move from comparing flights to checking the details, saving options, and tracking the seats you still need.

Google gave us a quick starting answer, a nonstop mileage price that matched AwardFares, and useful cabin information. Our follow up questions also left uncertainty about the data and the promised alert. With AwardFares, you can compare specific flight options, inspect the connection and reported seats, check update times, and manage an alert in your account.

The lower mileage option in our search came with a long stop in Miami. Whether that is worth it depends on your trip. We built AwardFares to make those choices easier to compare, then help you keep searching when none of the current options work.

You can start simply: choose a route, a date, and a program. Then add nearby dates, airports, or filters when they help. Our guide to finding your first award flight explains the steps.

Start a live award search to compare flights for your next trip. Live searches and alerts require Gold or Diamond. Compare plans for prices and trial terms, or create a free Basic account to preview recent results. Check our program list to see which miles you can search with.