5/13: MileWise acquired by Yahoo and closed

Mod note: Discussion of closure is post 48 onward.

There's a new frequent flyer friendly search service out today called MileWise.

Like AwardWallet, you can enter in your frequent flier program credentials and it will scan your programs.

MileWise then allows you to search for flights and compare the costs and benefits of each (based on how much the ticket costs, your status, class of service, etc.), and will recommend which flight to take based on total value including miles earned.

Currently it is free.

I played around with it and so far it looks promising. Not all airlines and programs are implemented yet, so it is not a replacement for AwardWallet. It also doesn't support searches for premium economy. But it could make some mileage tasks easier.

Wondering what other people think of it?

Thanks for the update on the new service. I like awardwallet but I feel like they are not a complete service.

It looks like MileWise drew on Hipmunk's style for their inspiration. When I tried to search for flights they were not completed due to "trouble talking to the server". I guess it is just opening day glitches but I can not provide any user feedback yet.

I look forward to trying it out over the coming days.

Do you know if MileWise offers tracking of pending mileage?

So far really liking it. It is missing values for some things (my BA miles for example), wonder what is required to "value" those.

Also wondering if the values get more accurate over time.

My only beef right now is there doesn't seem to be a lot of customization. But love the idea!

They value your miles and points really high and that makes me happy. :-)

Also awesome that the co-founders are the ones in the chat when you have questions. Don't think that will last but pretty cool while it does.

Hmm, I saw the live help box the first few times I used the site but I can't find it anymore.

Anyway, I like this site a lot and the search is a very cool starting point for evaluating trip redemption options!

It's not a full fledged replacement for awardwallet though, as it doesn't support the broad account coverage that awardwallet has. It is missing a number of good travel point programs that should be evaluated in any kind of system like this, including penfed travel, capital one, etc. It also doesn't seem to be picking up my amex MR points.

Very cool site though, and I'm eager to try this out in the future.

Hey FlyerTalk!

Nick from MileWise here. Really appreciate the interest.

A couple people in here have mentioned AwardWallet -- we're actually working with them, so every program they support should be available in MileWise soon.

Also: yep we are the ones in the live help! We just switched the help over to only show up when you're logged in, traffic has been a lot to handle =)

Keep the feedback coming, we absolutely love hearing from you guys.

And feel free to startup a conversation in the live chat!

Hi Nick. Since you're working with AwardWallet already, would it make sense to either combine the services or to use the balances from AwardWallet inside of MileWise (by linking accounts maybe)? It just seems from the outside that adding all our accounts again, and you reusing AW's methods/technology, isn't the best use of time/resources. Anyways, that's the only reason I've hesitated to join -- I don't want to add all my account info again to yet another site.

I learned of milewise yesterday but postponed joining because of concerns regarding account setup. In order to make this work they need to know my FF#'s and password credentials. There seem to be risks in providing this and I don't see this addressed on the site.

+1

If you already use another service like AwardWallet to manage your balances, re-adding them to MileWise can be a bit of a chore -- definitely something we've thought about.

The good thing is you can use the search functionality without necessarily adding all your programs -- you'll still be able to see available inventory across programs, fees / earned miles, etc -- we just won't be able to do great recommendations for you.

Then later you can add your programs when you're comfortable, or as we release features to make it easier (like just forwarding your monthly program statements to a special email address instead of entering username/pass..)

Wow - I'm really liking it thus far. It would be great if it could also:
1) search results for nearby airports as well.
2) run one-way searches
3) allow for Multi-City searches

Glad you're liking it!

You can actually run one-way searches by leaving the return date blank.

For nearby airports: we do support some metro area codes like NYC, WAS, etc.

As for multi-city...that's a bit more complicated =) But stay tuned!

Seems to me that as more publicly available services such as these appear, the more likely frequent flyer programs are going to continue to degrade.

I really like the service, and look forward to getting to know it in the future.

One problem I noticed with the system:

I did a random search to Europe. It told me that the best match was a DL ticket for $875; however, there was an AF itin for $815. It said the DL was better because of the value of the miles earned. It didn't subtract any value for AF miles. What it failed to recognize/acknowledge is that I am AS MVPG; both itins were valid for mileage earning, and I would earn base miles + 100% bonus on each itin...clearly, the AF itin is a better value for me.

So, perhaps the database should eventually become more sophisticated, and ask me to identify my primary program, or even evaluate the itinerary under multiple optional scenario - i.e. this itin credited to DL, or to AS, etc.

Also, will there be a hotel search with point redemptions eventually? I would find this immensely useful!