# 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

|                                           | AwardHacker             | AwardHack Award Flight Pricer                                 |
| ----------------------------------------- | ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Status                                    | Shut down in March 2026 | Actively maintained                                           |
| Miles by program for any route            | Yes                     | Yes, across 30+ programs                                      |
| Bank points that transfer to each program | Yes                     | Yes, with transfer ratios and a Transfer From filter          |
| Dynamically priced programs               | Static charts only      | Flagged, so you know to check the program                     |
| Taxes and surcharges                      | Not shown               | Estimated range for each program                              |
| Live transfer bonuses                     | Not shown               | Shown on the programs they apply to                           |
| Live award availability                   | Not shown               | Not shown: confirm seats with the program before transferring |
| Cost                                      | Free                    | Free account: 5 searches a day in economy and premium economy. Pro: 50 a day, plus business and first class |

## 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](/tools/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](https://awardfares.com?via=awardhack)** 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.

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Source: https://awardhack.com/awardhacker-alternative | Updated 2026-11-13