Points Path Alternative: AwardFares vs. Points Path in 2026

Points Path and AwardFares solve different parts of an award search. Points Path is a browser extension that adds award prices to Google Flights and helps you compare miles with cash. AwardFares is a standalone award search platform with its own Search, Alerts, Seat Maps, Flight Schedules, and Journey Planner. AwardFares does not add prices to Google Flights, and the regular Points Path flight search begins inside Google Flights.

If I only want to see whether miles or cash offer better value for a flight in Google Flights, Points Path makes that easy. When I need to search more programs, compare flexible dates, monitor several routes, check a cabin, or organize separate flights into one trip, I use AwardFares. That is the main difference to understand when looking for a Points Path alternative.

What AwardFares Does

AwardFares Search starts with the loyalty programs, routes, dates, airports, or metro areas I want to search. Each result can show the mileage price, taxes where supported, number of available seats where known, and the programs that can book the flight. If the same flight is available through several programs at different prices, I can compare them on one card.

The AwardFares flight list can show award availability across several cabins, with mileage prices and seat counts per program.

Around that Search sit the tools that carry a result forward:

• Timeline View and Broad Search help when my dates or destination are flexible. I can compare several days or look for recently found availability across a country, continent, or award zone.
• Live and Flex Alerts keep watching when nothing works today, either for an exact trip or for broader criteria.
• Seat Maps show the cabin and current seat assignment pattern for a flight.
• Flight Schedules show operating days, aircraft, and booking class information where supported.
• Journey Planner collects flights from separate searches into a saved, shareable itinerary.

The AwardFares program directory currently lists 17 searchable loyalty programs. Points Path covers 16 programs, with five included in the free Standard tier. AwardFares Basic is free and previews existing results. Running new searches and using Alerts, Flight Schedules, and Journey Planner requires Gold or Diamond.

What Points Path Does

Points Path is a browser extension for Google Flights. You start a normal search at flights.google.com. As Google loads the cash fares, Points Path searches its covered airline programs and adds award prices to the same results.

Deal arrows show whether Points Path considers the flight a good use of miles or a better cash purchase. It makes that comparison with its own median value for each program’s miles, including the taxes and fees on the award.

Three details of this design deserve real credit:

• The information button under an award price opens more options. It shows each covered program that can book the flight, the bank points that transfer to those programs, and any active transfer bonus shown by Points Path.
• Round trip searches use round trip award pricing. Points Path prices each direction instead of doubling a one way estimate.
• Google Flights provides the flexible airport inputs. You can search up to five airports in each field or use a metro city code.

When you pick a flight, Points Path adds a link to book with points on the airline’s own website next to Google’s standard booking options. It does not sell tickets. Its regular search checks the flights returned by the Google Flights query.

Points Path does not include an open destination search page, Seat Maps, Flight Schedules, or an itinerary workspace. Regular results follow the Google Flights search you entered, while paid Flex Alerts can monitor broader criteria. The extension requires the US English version of flights.google.com, but it can display any currency. It officially supports Chrome, Edge, Opera, Brave, Arc, and Safari. It also works through Safari on iPhone and iPad. Android browsers do not support the extension, so there is no Android version.

AwardFares vs. Points Path at a Glance

Points Path covers 16 loyalty programs. Five are included in Standard. Check that the exact program you need is covered before choosing a plan.

Points Versus Cash, Then the Wider Trip

1. Pricing a Flight You Already Found

This is the main reason to use Points Path. If I am already searching Google Flights, it can place the award price, cash comparison, and transfer partners beside each result. That quickly answers an important question: should I use miles or pay cash?

I found American Flagship First from Buenos Aires to New York with AwardFares by searching the route, nearby dates, First Class, and the Boeing 777-300ER. I later flew it for 78,500 AAdvantage miles plus about $95. A paid First Class fare on this route can cost more than $7,000, so this is a clear example of why I want to know both the award price and the cash price. My American Flagship First trip report documents the redemption and the flight.

American Flagship First from Buenos Aires to New York. I paid 78,500 AAdvantage miles plus about $95.

Flight Details keeps the booking programs, prices, taxes, and freshness attached to the itinerary they belong to.

2. Searching Beyond the Cash Results

Points Path follows the origin, destination, and dates entered in Google Flights. You can include up to five airports in each field, but you still need to define where you want to go. It cannot answer a broad question such as, “Where can I use 60,000 SAS EuroBonus points for Business Class next spring?” Points Path does not price EuroBonus, and this type of search does not begin with one destination in Google Flights.

A Broad Search from Stockholm to anywhere in the United States. I do not need to choose one destination first.

3. Watching a Flight Until Something Changes

Points Path paid plans include Flight Alerts. You can choose a specific one way flight in Google Flights and receive an email when the points price changes or award space appears. Points Path checks tracked flights several times a day. Its dashboard includes price history and a target price. Flight Alerts currently track one way flights. Flex Alerts can monitor broader criteria such as travel dates, points budget, airlines, departure times, and number of stops. Pro includes 30 Flight Alerts, three Flex Alerts, and a seven day points calendar around the selected date.

One Flex Alert can watch many route combinations at the same time.

A Live Alert for a defined New York to London search beside a Flex Alert for a flexible trip.

4. Turning Results Into a Trip

Points Path follows the itinerary built in Google Flights and adds links to book with points. It does not include a separate place to save one flight found today, add another flight later, compare trip options, or review Seat Maps and Flight Schedules.

Journey Planner is the workspace between finding flights and booking them.

A Seat Map shows the cabin layout and current seat assignments. It does not show how many tickets have been sold or prove award availability.

Plans, Prices, and Access

Prices and plan limits can change. Check each pricing page before subscribing.

AwardFares

• Basic is the free tier. It previews existing availability for one program and includes five Seat Map lookups per month. It does not run new searches or include Alerts, Journey Planner, or Flight Schedules.
• Gold currently costs $9.99 per month or $99 per year: 100 Live Searches per day, two programs per search, 30 Live Alerts, 100 Flex Alerts, Journey Planner, Flight Schedules, and 30 Seat Map lookups per month.
• Diamond currently costs $19.99 per month or $199 per year: unlimited Live Searches, five programs per search, 500 Live Alerts, unlimited Flex Alerts, faster result refreshes, and 200 Seat Map lookups per month. Usage controls apply.
• The 24 hour trial is separate from Basic. Eligible new customers can try Gold or Diamond after adding a payment method. Billing starts unless the trial is canceled. The pricing page has the current terms and amounts.

Points Path

The current Points Path plans are:

• Standard is free. It includes five loyalty programs, round trip pricing, deal arrows, bank transfer partners, and transfer bonus indicators.
• Alerts currently costs $34.99 billed annually. It adds up to 10 flight alerts at a time to the free access.
• Pro currently shows a special price of $7.99 per month or $79.99 per year. The regular prices shown are $9.99 per month and $99.99 per year. Pro adds international programs, 30 Flight Alerts, three Flex Alerts, a points wallet, a seven day points calendar, selected cardholder award discounts, a Lufthansa First Class dashboard, and custom points values.
• Points Path currently offers a 30 day money back guarantee on annual plans and a seven day guarantee during the first month of monthly plans.

Check that the exact program you need is included before choosing a plan.

Which One Should You Use?

I use AwardFares when the search needs to go beyond the Google Flights result. It lets me change the programs, dates, airports, and routes, then monitor and organize the flights I find. AwardFares does not add points prices to Google Flights.

Points Path adds the cash comparison to Google Flights. I use AwardFares for the wider award search, monitoring, Seat Maps, Flight Schedules, and the planning that follows.

If those are the parts you need, check the current AwardFares program list, then create a free Basic account or compare Gold and Diamond. For a broader look at this market, read our 2026 award search tools guide.

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We recheck this comparison quarterly and after major product changes, and we update the review date above only after verifying the facts again.