Savvy travelers know that Google Flights can help you find the best fares for your next trip, but if you’ve got points or frequent flyer miles to use, it’s not always clear whether booking with cash is a better deal than using your hard-earned rewards. The math can get complicated, comparing the cash price to the value of the points or miles, and who has time for that?
Points Path, a new browser extension, works with Google Flights to do the math for you. Points Path is free to install and works with both Chrome and Microsoft Edge. The tool compares airline miles with cash prices on American, Delta and United flights, with more airlines and frequent flier programs set to be added in the future.
The tool works directly with Google Flights to show you what you’d pay with points or miles, displayed next to the cash price for a flight. Points Path will then tell you which option is a better deal. Points Path also uses what’s called “true round-trip pricing,” so you’ll have the most accurate award pricing for a flight—the round-trip price found directly on an airline’s website rather than one-way flights. Pricing models can be complex, but Points Path does all the hard work, even incorporating discounts on awards pricing that airlines may offer. Once you see the results, you can click through from Google Flights to complete booking on the airline’s website.
“Points Path is designed for travelers who don't have the time to become experts at using frequent flyer miles but who want to quickly find the best flights available with their travel rewards and know whether they're getting a good deal when using them,” said Points Path founder Julian Kheel in a statement. “Points Path gives you the answers in just a few seconds every time you search, without having to use a separate website or app, since our results appear directly within Google Flights.”
Find all the details and download the extension at PointsPath.com.