AwardHacker shut down. Here's the alternative.

AwardHacker Shut Down: What Happened, and How to Price Award Flights Now

What happened to AwardHacker

For about ten years, AwardHacker answered one question faster than anything else: how many miles does this flight cost? You entered two airports and a cabin, and it ranked the loyalty programs that could book the trip from cheapest to most expensive, along with the bank points that transfer to each one. It launched in 2016 and became the usual first step for anyone planning an award trip.

AwardHacker went offline around March 30, 2026. Its homepage now says it "is no longer available due to significant changes in the award flight landscape," and gives two reasons: many airlines have moved to dynamic pricing, and award availability has become more limited. As of November 2026 the shutdown notice is still up, and there's been no word that it's coming back.

AwardHack isn't AwardHacker. The names are similar, but AwardHack is a separate, independent site. It isn't a relaunch of AwardHacker and isn't affiliated with the people who ran it.

Why the question still matters

The reasons AwardHacker gave are real, but they don't make its question less useful. Plenty of programs still price partner awards from a chart, and the same seat can cost twice as many miles in one program as in another. On ANA's nonstop from San Francisco to Tokyo, business class costs 52,500 miles with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and 100,000 with United MileagePlus. Bank points move to an airline instantly and can't be moved back, so knowing which program is cheapest before you transfer is still the step that saves the most points.

What changed is what a good answer needs:

• Current prices. Programs revise their charts every year. Air Canada changed its chart in June 2026 and Flying Blue changed its pricing in September 2026. A price from an old chart is a wrong price.
• Dynamic programs called out. Delta SkyMiles, Air France-KLM Flying Blue and United MileagePlus (on United flights) price by date and demand. A chart number for them would mislead you, so the Award Flight Pricer flags them instead.
• Taxes and surcharges. Fewer miles isn't always cheaper. Some programs add fuel surcharges that rival a cash fare, and AwardHacker never showed them.

AwardHacker vs. the Award Flight Pricer

Switching from AwardHacker

If AwardHacker was part of your routine, the Award Flight Pricer works the way you're used to:

1. Enter two airports and a cabin. Search by city, airport name or code, the same starting point as AwardHacker.
2. Create a free account to search any route. Without one, you can try a sample search from Chicago (ORD) to Tokyo (HND).
3. Sort by Lowest Miles to rank programs the way AwardHacker did, then compare the estimated taxes before you pick one.
4. Check the transfer partners for the program you choose, and check for a transfer bonus before you move any points.
5. Confirm the seat is open with the program, or with a live award search, before you transfer. Transfers to airlines can't be undone.

Other AwardHacker alternatives

The Award Flight Pricer does AwardHacker's job: what a route should cost and which program is cheapest. AwardHacker never had the next step, finding a date with a seat you can actually book, and that takes a live award search. Most people end up using one of each.

Live award search (seats you can book, by date):

• AwardFares searches award seats across many programs, with calendar and map views and alerts when a seat opens.
• seats.aero, point.me, Roame and PointsYeah also search live award seats, each with its own set of programs and plans.

Award price lookups (the AwardHacker kind):

• AwardsPlanner, a newer site, also looks up award prices by route and tracks transfer partners and bonuses.

A good routine: price the route in the Award Flight Pricer to see which programs are worth it, search those programs' live space for your dates, then transfer your points and book.

Frequently asked questions

What happened to AwardHacker?

AwardHacker shut down around March 30, 2026, after running since 2016. Its homepage now says it is no longer available because many airlines have moved to dynamic pricing and award availability has become increasingly limited.

Is AwardHacker coming back?

There's been no announcement that it is. As of November 2026, awardhacker.com still shows its shutdown notice.

Is AwardHack the same as AwardHacker?

No. AwardHack is a separate, independent site with a similar name. It isn't a relaunch of AwardHacker and isn't affiliated with the people who ran it, but its Award Flight Pricer does the job AwardHacker did.

What is the best free alternative to AwardHacker?

For the same job, seeing what a route costs in miles in each program, the AwardHack Award Flight Pricer is free with an account: 5 searches a day in economy and premium economy. AwardHack Pro adds business and first class pricing and 50 searches a day. To find dates with award seats open, use a live award search such as AwardFares alongside it.

Does the Award Flight Pricer show award availability?

No. Like AwardHacker, it shows what each program charges for a route, not whether a seat is open on your date. Confirm the seat with the program, or with a live award search, before you transfer points.

Does it show taxes and fuel surcharges?

Yes, as an estimated range for each program, which AwardHacker never showed. The program with the fewest miles isn't always the cheapest: on ANA's own flights, ANA Mileage Club often charges the fewest miles but adds hundreds of dollars in surcharges.

Which programs does it cover?

30+ loyalty programs, including Air Canada Aeroplan, Alaska Atmos Rewards, American AAdvantage, ANA Mileage Club, Avianca LifeMiles, British Airways Avios, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Singapore KrisFlyer, Turkish Miles&Smiles, United MileagePlus and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. Programs that price dynamically, like Delta SkyMiles, are flagged rather than given a number that won't match.