Kudos has partnered with CardRatings and Red Ventures for our coverage of credit card products. Kudos, CardRatings, and Red Ventures may receive a commission from card issuers. Kudos may receive commission from card issuers. Some of the card offers that appear on Kudos are from advertisers and may impact how and where card products appear on the site. Kudos tries to include as many card companies and offers as we are aware of, including offers from issuers that don't pay us, but we may not cover all card companies or all available card offers. You don't have to use our links, but we're grateful when you do!
Points Path Review: Best Free Tool for Award Flights?
July 1, 2025
.webp)
If you've ever wondered whether you should book a flight with cash or points, Points Path might be the answer you've been looking for. After testing this browser extension for several weeks, here's my honest take on whether it's actually useful—or just another tool cluttering up your browser.
What Is Points Path?
Points Path is a free browser extension that integrates directly with Google Flights to show you award pricing alongside cash fares. Instead of manually checking multiple airline websites to see if your miles are worth using, Points Path does the work for you and tells you which option offers better value.
The pitch is simple: Install the extension, search for flights on Google Flights like you normally would, and automatically see both cash prices and points prices side-by-side.
How It Works
The setup takes about 2 minutes:
- Go to pointspath.com and download the extension
- Install it on Chrome, Safari, Edge, Brave, Opera, or Arc
- Make sure you're using flights.google.com with English (United States) selected
- Start searching flights. Award pricing appears automatically
Once installed, here's what you see when searching flights:
- Cash price (normal Google Flights result)
- Points price showing miles/points needed + taxes
- Deal indicator with an arrow showing whether cash or points is the better value
- Transfer partner info showing which credit card points can transfer to each program
Click the "i" icon under any points price to see:
- All airline programs with availability for that flight
- Which bank credit cards transfer to each program
- Current transfer bonuses (if available)
When you're ready to book, one click takes you to either Google's normal booking page (for cash) or directly to the airline's website (to book with points).
What Programs Are Supported?
Free Version:
- American Airlines AAdvantage
- Alaska Mileage Plan
- Delta SkyMiles
- JetBlue TrueBlue
- United MileagePlus
Pro Version ($79.99/year or $7.99/month) adds:
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Air France/KLM Flying Blue
- Emirates Skywards
- Qantas Frequent Flyer
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- Virgin Australia Velocity
- Avianca LifeMiles
Plus Pro features like price tracking alerts, a 7-day points calendar, Delta Amex 15% discount integration, and a Lufthansa First Class dashboard.
The Good
- It actually saves time. Instead of opening 5+ airline websites to check award availability, you get everything in one place. For casual travelers who aren't award booking experts, this is genuinely helpful.
- The recommendations are solid. Points Path uses median valuations for each program's miles (for example, 1.25¢ per United mile, 1.1¢ per Delta mile) to calculate whether you're getting good value. While you might disagree with their exact valuations, the recommendations generally make sense.
- Transfer partner information is clutch. Seeing which credit card points transfer to each program - right in the search results - is incredibly useful. If you have Chase Ultimate Rewards or Amex Membership Rewards, you can instantly see your options without Googling.
- It works seamlessly. Once installed, you don't have to think about it. It just works in the background whenever you search Google Flights.
- Real-time data. All award pricing is pulled live from airlines, so you're seeing actual availability, not outdated information.
The Not-So-Good
- Desktop only. The extension doesn't work on mobile browsers (though there's an iOS Safari version that's somewhat limited). If you do most of your flight searching on your phone, you're out of luck.
- Limited to Google Flights. If you prefer using other flight search tools, Points Path won't help you. You're locked into Google Flights.
- Missing key programs. The free version doesn't include Air Canada, which is a major player for Amex and Capital One transfer partners. You need Pro to access international programs like Emirates or Virgin Atlantic.
- Can occasionally log out. Some users report having to log back in frequently on Chrome, which is annoying.
- Not comprehensive. Points Path shows you the programs it supports, but advanced award searchers know there are often better redemption options through partner programs not yet included in the tool.
Who Should Use It?
Great for:
- Casual travelers who want to use their points but don't know when it makes sense
- People who use Google Flights regularly
- Beginners in the points game who need guidance
- Anyone who has transferable points (Chase, Amex, Citi, Capital One) but isn't sure where to transfer them
Not ideal for:
- Advanced award searchers who already know how to find sweet spots
- People who primarily search on mobile
- Travelers focused on international premium cabin awards (unless you go Pro)
- Anyone who doesn't use Google Flights
Real-World Example
We searched Los Angeles to New York for March 2026:
- Cash price: $328
- Delta SkyMiles: 33,000 miles + $144 taxes
- American AAdvantage: 20,000 miles + $144 taxes
- Alaska Mileage Plan: 25,000 miles + $144 taxes
Points Path showed the American flight as a "Good Deal" because at their 1.3¢/mile valuation, 20,000 miles = $260 in value + $144 = $404 total, which is close to the $328 cash price but gives you more flexibility (free cancellation with miles).
The Delta option showed "Use Cash" because 33,000 miles × 1.1¢ = $363 + $144 = $507 in effective value for a $328 flight. Not worth it.
This kind of comparison took 5 seconds instead of 15 minutes of manual searching.
The Verdict
- For the free version: Absolutely worth installing if you use Google Flights. It costs you nothing, adds useful information, and might save you from wasting points on bad redemptions. Even if you only use it occasionally, it's valuable to have.
- For the Pro version: Harder to justify unless you frequently book international premium cabin awards or really want the price tracking features. At $80/year, you'd need to save yourself meaningful time or find one really good award booking to make it worthwhile.
Tips for Getting the Most Out of It
- Always check the "i" icon to see all available programs. Sometimes multiple airlines have the same flight at different point prices
- Don't blindly follow the recommendations. Consider other factors like cancellation flexibility and whether you value those points for future premium cabin redemptions
- Pay attention to taxes and fees. $150+ in taxes on an award flight can make "free" tickets less appealing
- Use it as a learning tool. Over time, you'll start to understand what good award pricing looks like for different routes
Bottom Line
Points Path does exactly what it promises: it makes comparing cash and award flights effortless. It's not going to replace dedicated award search tools for power users, but for the average traveler trying to figure out when to use their points, it's genuinely useful. If you use Google Flights and have credit card points, yes. It's free, takes 2 minutes to set up, and will save you time every time you search for flights. Should you pay for Pro, though? Only if you regularly fly internationally or really want the extra airline programs and tracking features. Most people will be fine with the free version.
The fact that it integrates seamlessly into a tool you're already using (Google Flights) makes it a no-brainer to at least try. Download it, run a few searches, and see if it adds value to your booking process. Worst case? You uninstall it. Best case? You stop wasting points on bad redemptions.
Download Points Path now.
Unlock your extra benefits when you become a Kudos member
Turn your online shopping into even more rewards
Join over 400,000 members simplifying their finances
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are those of Kudos alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
.webp)
