S3E2: Award Flights Made Easy: My Simple Research Process

3/19/25 Click MORE to see Ad disclosures

All information was accurate at time of recording, however benefits and credit card details can and do change. Please always review the links in the show notes and check our blog for the most up-to-date info.

Welcome to Points for Normal People!

In this episode I'm sharing my exact process to research the best domestic award flights. I’ll walk you through the initial steps I always take before even thinking about searching for award availability. I'll show you why it's so important to understand your routing options and get a feel for cash prices first, and I'll tell you about the tools I use to build a solid foundation for successful award travel planning.

I also cover some outdated advice you might have heard. Plus, I'll touch on the sometimes confusing world of booking partner airline awards and give you a sneak peek into future episodes where I'll be diving into specific sweet spots and strategies to help you get the absolute most out of your points.

ACTION STEPS

1. Do a test run of the initial flight search process for a route you'd like to fly.
2. Go to FlightConnections.com to find nonstop routes for your chosen route.
3. Go to Google Flights to gauge cash prices and check connecting flight options.
4. Make notes on your findings, including nonstop and connecting options, and cash prices.
5. Check the distance of your flight.
6. Save this information for when we look at specific sweet spots in future episodes.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Watch me walk through the process: katiestraveltricks.com/how-to-book-domestic-flights-with-points-video-guide/
• Flight Connections: FlightConnections.com
• Google Flights: https://www.google.com/travel/flights
• Download my free course: learn.katiestraveltricks.com

New Here?

Hi, I’m Katie from Katie’s Travel Tricks! I am here to help you learn the secrets that my family has been using for over a decade, using everyday expenses and welcome offers to supercharge your points earning. When you learn to do this, you can cover entire vacations every year.

Our family has been to Hawaii, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe — and more — all thanks to strategically earning and redeeming points. We've done this on a limited travel budget and now want to help you do it, too.

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