Rewards and awards for frequent fliers

Got miles? ExpertFlyer.com gives frequent fliers the behind-the-flight know-how to get even better award flights and upgrades than they hoped for.

What’s hot: Having access to an abundance of flight info. ExpertFlyer is a paid service (basic plan $4.99 a month, premium plan $9.99 a month) that allows you to search flight awards and upgrades on 21 global airlines, as diverse as Aer Lingus and United. I particularly liked two features: seeing how many award seats were still available on a flight and comparing that with other flights; and researching a flight based on which seat you want.

Can’t find a seat on the flight you want? Premium plan holders can save their queries and set a flight alert for the awards and upgrades they want. ExpertFlyer will let them know when that becomes available. This plan even has a mobile feature for select PDAs, BlackBerrys and cellphones. Not sure which plan to start with? The “Service Plans and Rates” page gives a solid overview of what’s available and prices.

What’s not: You can’t book the award seat on ExpertFlyer. The service mainly arms frequent fliers with knowledge before they spend their miles. Also, instead of letting the copious information become overwhelming, play with the service before you’re under pressure to book a ticket. Lean on the User Guide and the article “Understanding How to Use ExpertFlyer to Your Advantage.” An award based on miles doesn’t have to be just another free ticket.

-- Jen Leo