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Award booking services - a list and some reviews

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Old Feb 3, 2014, 1:11 pm
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This list is not an endorsement of any particular award booking service.
Please do your research and read this thread.

Please refer to the FT Disclaimers for disclaimer of responsibility for use of these services, etc.

Please feel free add other services and options you are aware of to this wiki.

Also, please post any personal experiences you may have with any of these services in this thread.

Reviews which appear to have been solicited by the service providers based upon content and posting history will be deleted. If you are a brand new or a member with a low post count and wish that your post not be deleted, please be sure to include the following details in your review: program(s), number of miles or points and the desired destinations and hotels. Please also include the itinerary booked by the service including the airlines, routing and hotels, the number of points needed to book that trip and the fee charged.

Award booking services (alphabetical):
  • Award Advocate - Domestic $100 p/p International $125 p/p, no additional charge for last minute. Changes $50. Also 10% discount for families traveling with children and active military
  • Award Booking Service - $25 up front search fee plus $150/ticket & $49 per 30-minute skype consultations (ask anything!)
  • Award Butler - Award Search: $79 for up to two passengers; flight info provided but does not include booking. Booking starting at $149 for first two passengers.
  • Award Chaser - Search fee starting at $79. Itinerary only - no booking provided
  • Award Expert - (MatthewLAX on FT, Live and Let's Fly blog) $150 first passenger, $100 each additional passenger; $250 per person for RTW; $50/ticket booking fee.
  • Award Flight Assist - Specialising in Australian frequent flyer programs; from AU$199 for the first passenger, additional charges for complex itineraries and more passengers
  • Award Planners - One way $129, additional person $99; Round trip $199, additional person $99; Multi City $249 additional person $149
  • Award Travel Consulting - Award Search: $125/person; Booking ticket: $75/itinerary; changes: new trip
  • Awardmagic - $179 per person OW/RT plus one stop or $279 per person for three or more destinations
  • BoundlessMiles - (Dominik Żmuda/Travelling the World): Booking: starting at $50 per passenger; Changes: half of award flight service fee paid
  • CabinChief - Bookings are $49 per pax
  • CatchUsFlying - $125 CAD/person for round-trip, $225 CAD/person for complex round-the-world. Consulting available at $75CAD/hour. (loganre17) on FT
  • Chatflights - Use app to chat in real time with real travel hackers to book travel for points or cash. Booking fee $295 pp coach and business, $395 pp first class.
  • Cranky Concierge - $75 per person each way domestic; $95 per person each way international
  • First Class and Beyond - "Concierge-style" bookings. Fee is based on the value of the retail ticket, $250/person minimum.
  • Flightfox - Consultative flight searching; fees start at $100 (requires credit card authorization up front)
  • Flyermiles - (Graham / YOWgary) $150 + 50 per additional person, $250 for RTW awards. Offers detailed information on how to book your own award.
  • iflywithmiles.com - (Mike/Melissa): 150 USD first person, 85 for additional person on same itin. Change fees vary.
  • JJ Award Travel - FT Member since 2012 - No upfront fees. Basic one-way or round-trip air award travel consisting of a total of 8 legs or less for the entire itinerary: $250 for the first person and $125 for each additional person. Complex one-way or round-trip air award travel consisting of a total of 9 or more legs per direction is additional. FT members get a 10% discount.
  • Loophole Travel - Award Travel Coaching $150 for first passenger and $100 for each additional passenger. Points Earning and MS Coaching also available.
  • Luxury Travel Consulting - (Jasper2009 on Flyertalk): $150 per person per ticket
  • Miles Help - Domestic: $100 OW; $140 RT/complex. International: $150 OW; $200 RT/complex. $50 each additional person
  • Miles Momma Booking Services - Airline Booking: $200 up to 2 passengers. $75 additional passengers. $50 non-refundable up front. Changes $50
  • MileValue Award Booking Service - (Scott Grimmer): Booking: $125 per person per award; $15 up front. Full payment required for successful search even if not booked. Change fee not currently listed; previously $79
  • PMM Travel Consulting - (Miguel R. Quinones/AwardWallet Blog): Booking: $125 per passenger for the first two, $99 for each additional. Additional charges for complex itineraries. Credit card advice and travel planning services.
  • Point.me - merger of services formerly provided by PointsPro (Ben Schlappig/One Mile At a Time) and Juice Miles
  • Reward Flyer - Domestic: $50 first person; $25 each additional person. International: $100 first person; $50 each additional person
  • SFO777.com - (SFO777 on FT) Booking: $200 first passenger, $100 each additional passenger; change fees vary
  • Travel Codex - Per person pricing: $50 for North America award / $100 for International award.
  • The Flying Mustache - $100 per ticket; additional fees for more than eight segments. Change fees vary
  • The Short Final - $100 per person. $100 upfront deposit that is fully refundable if no itinerary found.
  • Travel Is The Point - USA, Canada/Mexico & the Caribbean – starting at $50 per person. All Other International Destinations – starting at $100 per person.
  • zainman - FT member since 2009. Booking: $200 first passenger, $100 each additional passenger; change fees vary, consultant services for $ as well
  • Zero Hassle Rewards - $100 per person. Discounts for domestic and one-way
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Award booking services - a list and some reviews

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Old Feb 16, 2013, 8:37 am
  #121  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 6
B8B - Sorry that you didn't like or enjoy my service. I never lied about my service and was fairly open about my price and service offering - infact I had provided you with all the information in advance, and you still decided to work with that pricing.

I couldn't have created segments for you (16 of those) which did not exist.


Thank you

Last edited by WorldClassPerks; Feb 16, 2013 at 8:39 am Reason: grammatical error
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Old Feb 16, 2013, 9:23 am
  #122  
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
Do these services charge you even if they can't find exactly what you wanted?

Like if you have to travel on certain dates, only want low awards, not crazy taxes and fees and no crazy layovers?
wco81 is offline  
Old Feb 16, 2013, 9:26 am
  #123  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 5,439
My service doesn't charge unless you get exactly what you want. If something's not possible, I would tell you upfront, but that's very rarely the case.

I can't speak for anyone else.
belfordrocks is offline  
Old Feb 16, 2013, 9:33 am
  #124  
b8b
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SXSW
Programs: DL Plat; HH Diamond; SPG & Hyatt Plat
Posts: 996
Originally Posted by wco81
Do these services charge you even if they can't find exactly what you wanted?
I can tell you that WorldClassPerks didn't have the expertise to know up-front that a routing was not possible (I've booked a 16 segment route with Aeroplan before and just recently had a 15-segment route booked). After he learned he couldn't do a routing due to MPM (guys like MatthewLAX at UPGRD.com know this like the back of their hand and can calculate this without calling), he actually wanted to charge me just for trying!! WorldClassPerks stated he told me this up front, but I never would have agreed to these terms since there are several award travel services mentioned here that charge less, and even then, don't charge unless you book something.
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Old Feb 16, 2013, 9:51 am
  #125  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 6
Originally Posted by wco81
Do these services charge you even if they can't find exactly what you wanted?

Like if you have to travel on certain dates, only want low awards, not crazy taxes and fees and no crazy layovers?
My service will not charge you unless you're satisfied, however if there are awards that I need to spend countless hours, like a handfull that I've completed recently, I will advice you upfront if there is fee based on the time I spend. I've booked millions of award miles and I can honestly say that the "charge for time"usually happens a few times a year when the individual wants something extraordinary from a service offering like the one that was requested was B8B.

I'm glad he's happier with the other service providers and I respect that skill in this space, but you'll have to try the service and commitment rather than listen to an isolated comment on this platform.

Last edited by WorldClassPerks; Feb 16, 2013 at 11:38 am
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Old Feb 16, 2013, 9:56 am
  #126  
b8b
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SXSW
Programs: DL Plat; HH Diamond; SPG & Hyatt Plat
Posts: 996
Originally Posted by WorldClassPerks
I can honestly say that the "charge for time"usually happens a few times a year ...
All I can say is that WorldClassPerks simply did *not* have the expertise with Aeroplan that MatthewLAX at UPGRD.com did. I spent far more time helping WorldClassPerks than simply requesting service from UPGRD.com and Award Travel Services.

Disclaimer - The following is just my personal experience and opinion:

The difference is night and day. You will pay less with UPGRD.com and Award Travel Services AND get better expertise.

Why pay more for less or risk getting shaken down for money on an unsuccessful attempt because of lack of award booking knowledge by an "expert"?
b8b is offline  
Old Feb 16, 2013, 10:02 am
  #127  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 6
Originally Posted by b8b
All I can say is that WorldClassPerks simply did *not* have the expertise with Aeroplan that MatthewLAX at UPGRD.com did. I spent far more time helping WorldClassPerks than simply requesting service from UPGRD.com and Award Travel Services.

Disclaimer - The following is just my personal experience and opinion:

The difference is night and day. You will pay less with UPGRD.com and Award Travel Services AND get better expertise.

Why pay more for less or risk getting shaken down for money on an unsuccessful attempt because of lack of award booking knowledge by an "expert"?
B8B - I think you like the concept of a free service and I don't blame you for that!

I am fairly comfortable and acknowledge that there is a ton of skill in this space, but only you and I know what you AGREED on and now you want to claim the opposite.

I wish you luck in your travel plans!
WorldClassPerks is offline  
Old Feb 16, 2013, 11:40 am
  #128  
b8b
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SXSW
Programs: DL Plat; HH Diamond; SPG & Hyatt Plat
Posts: 996
Originally Posted by WorldClassPerks
B8B - I think you like the concept of a free service and I don't blame you for that!
Free? I paid to use these other booking services, and they did not request payment until after the booking was successful.
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Old Feb 19, 2013, 5:45 pm
  #129  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 731
Great thread, I will be looking into these services within the next few weeks.
yOyOYoo is offline  
Old Feb 19, 2013, 6:04 pm
  #130  
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
Hmm, I emailed upgrd.com over the weekend. No word.

Maybe the award I want isn't there to be found.
wco81 is offline  
Old Feb 19, 2013, 7:14 pm
  #131  
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 6,385
Originally Posted by wco81
Do these services charge you even if they can't find exactly what you wanted?

Like if you have to travel on certain dates, only want low awards, not crazy taxes and fees and no crazy layovers?
Well if it's doable, the pros should be able to. Like if you want to fly BA F without fuel surcharges from North America, nobody can do that for you.
Or if you want 4 LH F awards 2 months out, that's not happening either.

Originally Posted by b8b
I can tell you that WorldClassPerks didn't have the expertise to know up-front that a routing was not possible (I've booked a 16 segment route with Aeroplan before and just recently had a 15-segment route booked). After he learned he couldn't do a routing due to MPM (guys like MatthewLAX at UPGRD.com know this like the back of their hand and can calculate this without calling), he actually wanted to charge me just for trying!! WorldClassPerks stated he told me this up front, but I never would have agreed to these terms since there are several award travel services mentioned here that charge less, and even then, don't charge unless you book something.
You mind posting email exchange? We can decide for ourselves.
yerffej201 is offline  
Old Feb 20, 2013, 2:03 pm
  #132  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 6
Originally Posted by WorldClassPerks
You mind posting email exchange? We can decide for ourselves.
yerffej201 - my contact information is listed @ www.worldclassperks.com. I'd be more than willing to talk to you to discuss your travel question/(s) and award assistance if you're looking for one.
WorldClassPerks is offline  
Old Mar 23, 2013, 3:05 am
  #133  
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 385
Does anyone know if any award booking services have 1k or premier status on united?

I already have an routing made, but with close in ticketing fees and possible rescheduling (changing dates within 21 days) it'd be worth the fee to have someone with status book the award from their account.

Is this even possible for award services? I'd simply pay the cash + transfer the necessary UR points.
captaincool is offline  
Old Mar 23, 2013, 4:29 pm
  #134  
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: DFW
Posts: 454
It's hard to explain what I want - but what I think I want isn't very hard to get - but I want to pay someone who knows more than I do to sit and just email back and forth - bounce ideas off of me - not even necessarily who has many tricks. But something like "We have all summer, we want to go some place that we can't drive to in a couple of days, this is what we got as far as points - what do you suggest?" For four people - it seems like fees get up to $600 - where this may take an hour conversation over a few days. Any ideas on lower-cost booking services for newbies when the challenge isn't particularly hard - but it's a first time award booking for them and they want to pay for the handholding/spoon feeding?
horseymen is offline  
Old Mar 23, 2013, 4:59 pm
  #135  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: Gold, plat, diamond and more
Posts: 3,360
Originally Posted by horseymen
It's hard to explain what I want - but what I think I want isn't very hard to get - but I want to pay someone who knows more than I do to sit and just email back and forth - bounce ideas off of me - not even necessarily who has many tricks. But something like "We have all summer, we want to go some place that we can't drive to in a couple of days, this is what we got as far as points - what do you suggest?" For four people - it seems like fees get up to $600 - where this may take an hour conversation over a few days. Any ideas on lower-cost booking services for newbies when the challenge isn't particularly hard - but it's a first time award booking for them and they want to pay for the handholding/spoon feeding?
E-mail all of them- ask for a price quote for a full package. Your replies will easily determine who to proceed working with.
travelkid is offline  


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