I keep two tabs open. One is Google Flights. The other is Seats.aero. It’s a ritual I’ve stuck to for years. I’m looking for redemptions while writing copy and booking my own trips. It’s inefficient. It’s clunky.
But that changes now. Seats.aero just launched a Chrome extension. It overlays award pricing directly onto Google Flights. You stop jumping between windows. The data sits right on the search results page.
Google Flights still wins for cash fares and schedule comparisons. This tool? It’s for the points nerds. It shows you if you can buy that Delta flight with Chase Ultimate Rewards. Or if it’s cheaper with Amex.
Install with Caution
Head to the Chrome Web Store to get it. It’s free. The installation is fast. Works immediately. Open a new tab in Google Flights and search. Boom. Prices appear.
But stop before you click. Look at the permissions.
This extension demands access to read and change data. It needs to touch Google. It needs Chase Travel. Amex Travel. Seats.aero. Everything.
I gave the permission. I found it worth it. You might not. It’s your data. Your accounts. Judge carefully.
The Cache Problem
Here’s the catch. The prices you see aren’t always live. They are often cached. Similar to the Seats.aero website itself.
You might see an award slot that vanished ten minutes ago. If you see a great deal, don’t rush. Hover over the cost. Check the timestamp if possible. Or just go to the program’s website to confirm.
“It’s important to keep in mind that you May see award availability and pricing that is still no longer available.”
Don’t transfer points until you verify. The extension guides you to the loyalty program’s site. You can confirm and book there. But the extension doesn’t do the final booking. You do.
Click, Hover, Filter
Hover over an award cost. Details pop up. You see all the programs Seats.aero tracks. That’s the quick view.
Click the price. It takes you to a page with the lowest cost for each cabin. Click “Show” on the drop-down arrow. Now you see the spread. Different points programs. Different rates. Click any result. It opens the airline’s site.
There’s one frustration though. You won’t see when a result was last scraped unless you hover on the main search page. Otherwise, it’s a mystery.
You can filter the madness. The extension lets you narrow the chaos:
- Transfer partners: Only show what you can actually access.
- Programs: Filter by specific airlines.
- Points: Cap the max points you’re willing to spend.
- Max fees: Set a limit on taxes and fees.
The fee filter is gated. It’s a Pro-only feature. Seats.aero charges $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year for that.
Testing the Filters
I set my transfer partners to the ones I hold. I included all programs. I capped points at 30,000.
The results changed. Many flights flashed a message. Available options didn’t meet my filters. Probably because they cost 35k points. It works. It filters out the noise.
A Glitch in the Matrix
It wasn’t all smooth sailing. The extension kept kicking me out. Logouts happened repeatedly.
I had to log back into Seats.aero over and over. It’s annoying. It breaks flow. It’s frustrating to work with.
Seats.aero might fix this in an update. Or maybe not. For now, the convenience of seeing prices on Google Flights is real. But the stability is shaky.
Is the trade-off worth the logouts? For serious point hackers, maybe. For casual users, maybe not. You’ll see.
