How to Search with the Explore vs. Search Tool
Seats.aero gives you two different ways to look for award flights: Explore and Search. Each serves a slightly different purpose depending on where you are in your trip-planning process.
Explore: Find Inspiration
Think of Explore as your “big picture” tool. It’s designed to help you discover where you can go with the points you already have.
With Explore, you can:
- Enter your home airport (or region) and see destinations you can reach with award seats.
- Compare across airlines and loyalty programs in one view.
- Filter by cabin class, points program, and trip type.
Best for: When you’re flexible and want to see what’s possible before committing to exact dates.
Search: Book a Specific Trip
The Search tool is more detailed and precise. It’s where you go once you know your travel dates and destination.
With Search, you can:
- Look up award availability on specific routes, one date at a time.
- See expanded award seat results beyond 60 days out (with PRO).
- Get booking instructions directly for the airline or program offering the award.
Best for: When you already have dates in mind and want to lock in a seat.
When to Use Which Tool
- Not sure where to go? → Start with Explore.
- Already know where and when? → Jump to Search.
- Using both together often works best: Explore for ideas, then Search to book.
✅ Tip: PRO members unlock extra features in both tools — like unlimited searches, more results, and custom alerts.
Need help if something doesn’t look right?
Most of the time, Search works exactly as expected — but every now and then results can differ from airline sites. If you run into something unexpected, check out our Troubleshooting Tips for quick fixes and explanations.