Google Flights Point Path extension: How to use it
When I need to book a plane ticket, my first stop is Google Flights, which compiles ticket options and prices in one place. However, Google Flights only shows the total amount in dollars and not the reward rate. So, to decide whether to book an award flight or a cash rate, I also often open airline websites to search for equivalent award flights or start my search with a Award travel tools alike Point.me or Roame.travel.
On January 18, a new web browser extension for Google Flights called Point Paths became publicly available. When you use the desktop version of Google Flights, Points Path displays reward rates next to cash totals for flights sold by select airlines. The extension also tells you Points are transferable can be used with the airlines it supports, suggests when to use rewards, and suggests when to set the price to be paid.
So let’s take a closer look at the Point Path extension, including what it is, how to install it, and how to use it.
What is a point path?
Points Path is a free web browser extension that displays rewards rates next to cash prices in Google Flights and indicates better options for both one-way and round-trip travel. Once you’ve chosen your itinerary, you can set premium rates as you normally would with Google Flights or redeem rewards directly with the airline’s loyalty program.
When asked who should use Point Path, Julian Kheel — founder of Points Path and former editorial director of TPG — told me:
“There are already a ton of search tools out there for people who are adept at using their points and are willing to turn to obscure programs to maximize them. I think those tools are great and I use them when I need them. But Points Path is designed for people who don’t have time to master frequent flyer miles. It’s for travelers who want to find flights quickly fly the best available with the points or miles they have and know if they are getting a good deal using them, Points Path is built to answer both of those questions in just a few seconds every time you search without having to use a separate website or app because our results appear directly in Google Flights.”
So while advanced points and miles users might find it interesting to use the Points Path extension in Google Flights, they’re not the tool’s target audience. Instead, Points Path is designed to help travelers who aren’t sure when to redeem points and miles for their flights but still want to get good value from their rewards.
Related: How to decide when to use cash or miles to buy airline tickets
What airline loyalty programs are included in Points Path?
Points Path is currently reviewing award itineraries that you can book through Air Canada aircraft, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, American Airlines Advantages, JetBlue TrueBlue, United MileagePlus And Delta SkyMiles loyalty programs. Points paths apply to flights operated by these airlines and their partners as long as Google Flights shows itineraries sold by one of these six programs.
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Experienced points and miles users know that you can often book the same flights through multiple airline loyalty programs. For example, an American Airlines flight can be booked through the American AAdvantage program, but it can also be booked with Avios is a British airline and other partner currencies. Points Path has added several programs since launching in January; This isn’t surprising since Kheel told me that the Point Path team is “in the process of building additional aviation programs to make Point Path even more useful.”
Related: The best ways to earn airline miles
How to install the Point Path extension
To install the Point Path extension, you must be a Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge user and subscribe to the Point Path email list. However, Kheel assured me that “his team’s priority is to deliver a Safari version of Point Path”.
To use Point Path, go to website and click the blue “Download extension” button near the top of the page. Doing so will take you to a form where you must provide your name and email. After filling out the form, I received an email with the subject line “Score Path: You’re in!” in the Updates tab in my Gmail inbox within two minutes.
I was using the Google Chrome browser when I clicked the Point Path settings link from the email. So clicking the link takes me to the Point Path Chrome Web Store page. I clicked the “Add to Chrome” button from this page to install the Point Path Chrome extension. Installation took just a few seconds, after which I could start using the Point Path extension.
Related: Your ultimate guide to finding award availability for major airlines
How to use Point Path
Once you’ve installed the Points Path extension, visit Google Flights. You’ll need to use the basic Google Flights page at flights.google.com, select “English (United States)” as your language and select dollars as your currency for Point Path to work correctly. You can change your language and currency at the bottom of the Google Flights website.
I searched for a one-way flight from Atlanta to New York this winter, as I usually do with Google Flights. However, my search results looked a bit different when I installed the Points Path Chrome extension.
I can still use all the standard Google Flights filters. For example, I can filter to only see Delta Air Lines flights that don’t depart too early or arrive too late.
And if I’m not traveling alone, I might change my search to be for two passengers.
Delta’s first two flight options look appealing, especially since these awards only cost 14,000 miles plus $11 in taxes and fees for two passengers. I can click on the information icon in the results to see the transferable currency I can transfer to stake this prize.
I can select flights as usual in Google Flights, but now have the option to book with Delta miles thanks to the Points Path extension.
When I clicked “Continue” next to the option for 14,000 miles plus $11, I was taken to the Points Path website. From there, click the “Continue to Delta.com” button to book your award flight. Wait a moment for the Delta site to load to allow Point Path time to enter your search data and launch the search for you on the Delta site.
Related: 6 hot spots on the award chart that can help you save money on domestic flights
How much do Points cost?
Points Path is currently free to install and use. However, the FAQ section above Point Path website mentions that “there may be a small monthly fee for personalized or advanced features” in the future, but “the basic Score Path search extension will always be free.”
Suggest Point Path
One useful aspect of the Points Path extension is the recommendation on whether you should redeem a reward or set a price to pay.
At a high level, recommendations are made by setting a value for each airline’s points or miles. According to frequently asked questions, Points Path determined the average value of Aeroplan points, as well as miles on Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue and United Airlines. It then looks at taxes and fees on award flights and calculates whether you should redeem the award or set the price to pay.
At the time of writing, Point Path uses the following averages:
| Programme | Point Path Mean | TPG’s valuation |
|---|---|---|
| Air Canada aircraft | 1.4 cents per point | 1.5 cents per point |
| Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan | 1.45 cents per mile | 1.55 cents per mile |
| American Airlines Advantages | 1.3 cents per mile | 1.7 cents per mile |
| Delta SkyMiles | 1.1 cents per mile | 1.15 cents per mile |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 1.3 cents per point | 1.35 cents per point |
| United MileagePlus | 1.25 cents per mile | 1.35 cents per mile |
The average value of Path Score is slightly lower than that TPG’s valuationwhich we calculate accordingly data-driven pricing framework we introduced in September 2023.
However, what gets lost in many decisions about whether to redeem a reward or set a price to pay is the difference in what you’re buying. For example, if you charge an American flight to your favorite flight travel rewards credit card and then decide to cancel, you will typically receive a credit to use toward a future trip instead of a refund. If you book an AAdvantage award flight, you can Cancel and resubmit your miles without any fees. However, you will earn American miles and Loyalty Points on paid flights but cannot redeem rewards.
Related: How (and why) reward redemption values are calculated
Bottom line
I like to see Points Path results when searching for flights with Google Flights because it gives me a feel for award prices with supported programs. While I’m not the target audience for Points Path, I recommend it to Causal points and miles users as a good way to get familiar with how many points or miles popular programs charge for flights.
The Points Path extension also helps travelers know when they can get good value for their points and miles with select programs. As Kheel noted in the press release about Point Paths when the extension ended beta, “Point Paths is designed for travelers who don’t have time to become experts at using frequent flier miles but want to quickly find the best flights available for them and know if they’re getting a good deal when they use them.”
Related: Best airline credit cards with annual fees under $100
