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SeatSpy adds award availability for 6 new airlines including Lufthansa and Swiss
Ben Smithson
Senior writer
Ben Smithson is a travel loyalty expert based in London.
July 14, 2022
•
4 min read
SeatSpy adds award availability for 6 new airlines including Lufthansa and Swiss
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One of the best ways to find award availability just keeps getting better. SeatSpy has added search functionality for the following airlines to its already impressive list of carriers:
The new airlines are still in beta mode, so you may encounter bugs or lagging. Still, this is a great improvement to the platform.
SeatSpy allows you to search award seats on certain airlines across their entire schedule — any route, any class, any date and any number of seats. Imagine you’re looking for two Lufthansa business class seats to, say, New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) over the next three months from Germany's Munich Airport (MUC). Here is how quick and easy it is to find these seats using the SeatSpy tool with the new airlines added (a circle means award seats are available on that date):
You can even easily search for first class award availability, though be aware that there are restrictions around booking first-class seats on Lufthansa with partner program miles and points. SeatSpy currently shows this availability for booking through Lufthansa’s own Miles & More program.
Related: Lufthansa to resume flying 5 A340s to meet increased first-class demand
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How about seats on LOT Polish from Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW) in Poland to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) around Christmas? Here are the results in all three classes LOT operate (gray is economy, blue is premium economy and green is business class):
The TPG team has long been a fan of the SeatSpy platform because it allows you to quickly search certain routes for months at a time. No more clicking through weekly calendar views — you can view the entire schedule in seconds. When you hover over the date it will also show you exactly how many seats are available in each cabin (regardless of how many you have searched for). Also included are the points needed in the airline's own program as well as the approximate fees, taxes and surcharges. You can click through to the loyalty program to book directly.
SeatSpy now boasts an impressive 13 airline partners. The total list now includes:
- Air France.
- American Airlines.
- Austrian Airlines.
- British Airways.
- Brussels Airlines.
- Etihad Airways.
- KLM.
- LOT Polish Airlines.
- Lufthansa.
- Swiss Air.
- United Airlines.
- Virgin Atlantic.
SeatSpy offers a 14-day free trial which is handy if you're ready to book a big redemption for something like a honeymoon or birthday trip. After your free trial, you can choose a monthly subscription for $3.53 which gives you unlimited award searches. The fee will also give you the ability to set as many as four alerts that will notify you if the seat you've been looking for becomes available at a later date. You can opt to receive these new seat notifications by email, WhatsApp, or, for a premium fee, by SMS with unlimited alerts possible.
Annual memberships will give you two months free, reducing the cost even more.
The service also offers a "Where can I go?" function that shows every destination for which an airline has award availability on a certain date (across its entire route network). For now, this is limited to British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
Best for dining at restaurants
TPG Editor‘s Rating
Go to reviewCard Rating is based on the opinion of TPG‘s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.