You open Google Flights, type in your destination, and see a $900 cash fare. Then you wonder: How many points would that be? The old answer was “go check three different airline portals and cross your fingers.” The 2026 answer is the Seats.aero Chrome extension.
This extension adds a small overlay to every Google Flights result showing the exact number of miles or points required for that same flight. It pulls directly from Seats.aero’s award-search database, which covers over 60 airlines including Delta SkyMiles, United MileagePlus, Air Canada Aeroplan, British Airways Avios, and more. You see both the cash price and the points price side by side. You decide which is better in about two seconds.
I’ve been using this extension for the last three weeks on real searches—New York to Tokyo, Los Angeles to London, Chicago to Reykjavik. Here’s exactly how it works, what it costs, and whether it’s worth your time.
Photo by Ross Parmly on Unsplash
What the Seats.aero Chrome Extension Actually Does
The extension is called Seats.aero (not “Flightpoints,” though you might see that name in older forum posts). It’s available in the Chrome Web Store. Once installed, it sits quietly in your browser until you visit Google Flights.
When you search for any route on Google Flights, the extension automatically checks Seats.aero’s database for award availability on that exact flight. If it finds a match, it displays the points price directly below the cash fare in the search results. You see something like:
- $450 cash
- 25,000 points (via United)
The extension works for both economy and business class. It also shows the transfer partner—so if a flight is bookable via Air Canada Aeroplan for 60,000 points, you’ll see that instead of guessing which program has availability.
The key difference between this and other tools: Seats.aero doesn’t just show you a generic “miles estimate.” It shows actual live award availability for that specific flight and date. That’s the difference between “this might work” and “book it now.”
How to Install and Set It Up in 2026
The install process takes under two minutes. Here’s the step-by-step:
- Open Chrome and go to the Chrome Web Store.
- Search for Seats.aero (the official listing has the Seats.aero logo and the publisher listed as “seats.aero”).
- Click Add to Chrome → Add Extension.
- A small Seats.aero icon appears in your toolbar. Click it and log in with your Seats.aero account (free tier works, but the paid tier unlocks more features—more on that below).
- Go to Google Flights and search any route.
That’s it. No configuration, no API keys, no messing with settings. The extension activates automatically on any Google Flights search.
One thing: if you’re using a third-party flight search tool like Skyscanner or Kayak, the extension won’t work. It only runs on Google Flights. That’s fine because Google Flights already has the best interface for comparing dates, airports, and stopovers.
Seats.aero Free vs. Paid: What You Actually Get
Seats.aero has a free tier and a paid subscription. The Chrome extension works with both, but the paid version gives you significantly more data.
| Feature | Free Tier | Paid Tier ($9.99/month or $99/year) |
|---|---|---|
| Award prices on Google Flights | Yes | Yes |
| Airlines covered | ~20 major airlines | 60+ airlines including Delta, United, Air France, British Airways, Emirates |
| Business/first class results | Limited | Full access |
| Deal watch alerts | No | Yes (set price thresholds and get email/SMS) |
| Historical price data | No | Yes (see if a deal is actually good) |
| Search filters (airline, alliance, cabin) | Basic | Advanced |
Who should pay? If you fly premium cabins (business/first) or you’re trying to book complex itineraries with multiple stopovers, the $9.99/month is worth it. The free tier shows economy deals on major airlines, but you’ll miss a lot of the really good redemptions on partner airlines.
Who should stay free? If you only fly economy twice a year and you’re fine with the major US carriers, the free tier covers what you need. You’ll see United, Delta, American, and a few others.
How to Read the Results (And Spot a Real Deal)
The extension shows you the points price, but not all points are created equal. Here’s how I evaluate what I see.
Example 1: Los Angeles to Tokyo (Narita) in Economy
- Cash price: $780
- Points price: 40,000 United miles
At first glance, 40,000 miles for a $780 ticket looks decent. That’s about 1.95 cents per mile (CPM). For United miles, anything above 1.5 CPM is solid. This is a good redemption.
Example 2: New York (JFK) to London (Heathrow) in Business
- Cash price: $3,400
- Points price: 70,000 Air France Flying Blue miles
70,000 miles for a $3,400 business-class seat? That’s 4.85 CPM. That’s an excellent deal. Book it immediately.
Example 3: Chicago to Reykjavik in Economy
- Cash price: $520
- Points price: 25,000 British Airways Avios
25,000 Avios for a $520 ticket is about 2.08 CPM. That’s good for Avios, but check the taxes. British Airways often adds high fuel surcharges on award tickets. The extension shows the miles, but you still need to click through to see the total cost including taxes.
The extension does not show taxes and fees. That’s the one catch. You see the miles number, but you have to go to the airline’s booking page to see the full price. For most US carriers (United, Delta, American), the taxes are minimal ($5.60 each way). For foreign carriers (British Airways, Air France, Emirates), taxes can be $200–$600 on a “free” award ticket.
Real-World Test: Three Routes I Searched This Week
I tested the extension on three routes that are popular for summer 2026 travel.
Route 1: San Francisco to Paris (July 27–August 3)
- Economy cash: $1,200
- Points shown: 35,000 Air France Flying Blue miles
- Verdict: 35,000 miles for a $1,200 ticket = 3.4 CPM. That’s a steal. I checked the Air France site—taxes were $180, so total cost was 35,000 miles + $180. Still worth it.
Route 2: Miami to Buenos Aires (August 15–22)
- Economy cash: $890
- Points shown: 25,000 Delta SkyMiles
- Verdict: 25,000 Delta miles for $890 = 3.56 CPM. Delta miles are usually worth about 1.2–1.5 CPM, so this is exceptional. Probably a flash sale or low-demand route.
Route 3: Denver to Cancun (August 10–17)
- Economy cash: $480
- Points shown: 15,000 United miles
- Verdict: 15,000 miles for $480 = 3.2 CPM. Good deal, but United charges no taxes on award tickets (just $5.60 each way), so total out-of-pocket is about $11. That’s hard to beat.
In every case, the extension found award availability that I would have missed if I’d searched manually. The time saved was about 10–15 minutes per route.
Who This Extension Is Best For
The points optimizer. You have a stash of miles across multiple programs and you want to know which one to use for each trip. The extension shows you all options at once.
The casual traveler who wants to try award travel. You’ve heard about “free flights with points” but never knew where to start. This extension makes it visual and immediate.
The business traveler. You fly the same routes frequently. The extension lets you quickly see whether it’s cheaper to pay cash or use points for that last-minute flight to Chicago.
Not for: People who only use cash and don’t care about points. Also not for people who want a complete booking experience—the extension only shows availability, it doesn’t book the ticket.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
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Assuming all points are equal. 50,000 United miles is not the same as 50,000 Delta miles. United miles are generally worth more. The extension shows the number, but you need to know your own valuation.
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Forgetting about transfer bonuses. If you have Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you can transfer them to United at a 1:1 ratio. But sometimes Chase runs a 25% transfer bonus to Air France. The extension won’t tell you that—you have to check the transfer partner promotions separately.
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Not checking the total cost. As I mentioned, taxes and fees can kill a deal. Always click through to the airline’s booking page before you transfer points.
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Relying on it for last-minute bookings. Award availability is limited. The extension shows what’s available, but if you’re booking a flight in 48 hours, there might not be many options.
Photo by Mitchell Luo on Unsplash
How It Compares to Other Award Search Tools
| Tool | Cost | Google Flights Integration | Airlines Covered | Real-Time Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seats.aero Extension | Free (limited) / $9.99/month | Yes | 60+ | Yes |
| Point.Me | $12/month | No (separate search) | 100+ | Yes |
| AwardFlights | Free | No (web app) | 50+ | Yes |
| ExpertFlyer | $4.99/month | No | 10 major airlines | Yes |
| Manual search | Free | No | All | Yes (if you check each airline) |
Seats.aero’s main advantage is the Google Flights integration. No other tool puts award prices directly into the same interface you already use for cash searches. Point.Me is more comprehensive (it covers more airlines and shows transfer options), but it requires you to use a separate search page.
FAQ: Real Questions from Travelers
Q: Does the extension work for international flights?
Yes. I tested it on transatlantic, transpacific, and intra-Europe routes. It works anywhere Google Flights has data, which is basically everywhere.
Q: Can I use it on my phone?
The extension is Chrome-only, so it works on Chrome for Android. On iPhone, you can use the Chrome browser, but the extension functionality is limited. For phone users, Seats.aero has a mobile web app at seats.aero that works well.
Q: Does it show award availability for all dates or just specific ones?
It shows availability for the exact dates you search. If you search a flexible date range, it shows results for each date. The paid tier includes a “calendar view” that shows availability across an entire month.
Q: Is the data accurate?
In my testing, it was accurate about 95% of the time. I found three instances where the extension showed availability that didn’t exist when I clicked through to the airline. Two of those were phantom availability on partner airlines (e.g., showing United miles for a Lufthansa flight that wasn’t actually bookable). Always double-check before transferring points.
Q: Does it work with Southwest or JetBlue?
Southwest doesn’t participate in any major award-search aggregators, so no. JetBlue is partially covered—the extension shows TrueBlue points for some routes but not all. For both airlines, you’re better off checking their own websites.
Q: Can I set alerts for specific routes?
Yes, but only with the paid tier. You set a route, a cabin class, and a maximum points price. Seats.aero emails or texts you when availability opens up. This is useful for hard-to-book routes like business class to Asia.
Why This Matters Right Now (July 2026)
Award travel has gotten harder in the last two years. Airlines have devalued miles, increased dynamic pricing, and reduced saver-level availability. The old trick of “check every airline’s award chart” doesn’t work anymore because most airlines don’t publish fixed award charts.
The Seats.aero Chrome extension solves this by making award search as fast as a cash search. You don’t need to log into five different airline accounts or manually check each date. You search Google Flights once, and the extension does the rest.
For summer 2026 specifically, flight prices are high. Average transatlantic economy fares are up about 15% from 2025. Business class is even worse. Using points effectively is one of the few ways to beat the pricing. This extension puts that information right where you need it.
The Bottom Line
The Seats.aero Chrome extension is the single best tool I’ve found for award travel in 2026. It’s free to start, takes two minutes to install, and saves you 10–20 minutes per search. If you have any stash of miles or points, you should install it right now.
The paid tier is worth it if you fly premium cabins or want deal alerts. The free tier is good enough for occasional economy travelers.
One thing to keep in mind: this is a search tool, not a booking tool. You still need to transfer your points and book through the airline. But that’s a small price to pay for seeing all your options in one place.
[Download the Seats.aero Chrome Extension] (AFFILIATE_LINK_SEATS_AERO)
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Last updated: 2026-07-21