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Jetting around the world is both my career and my passion, so I end up booking a lot of flights. And while I used to be perfectly content in economy class, these days I really prefer to fly up front in business class. But business class flights aren’t cheap, and — if I’m honest — I can be a bit disorganized, which means sometimes my travel plans don’t go exactly as planned.
Thankfully, AwardWallet helps keep me on track. Along with managing my points, tracking certificate expiration dates, and storing my logins, it also keeps tabs on my upcoming travel. And just last week — as it’s done for me many times before — AwardWallet saved the day. Here’s how.
AwardWallet Tracks My Travel
I've been using AwardWallet for nearly 10 years and maintain a Plus subscription. I know that many folks like to rely on spreadsheets to track their balances and upcoming travel, but I've never reliably managed to keep my bookings in order. That's partly because I'm on the road all the time, but also because I'm just not great at it.
And that's the main reason why I love AwardWallet. It's linked to all my accounts and my email, so it tracks everything automatically. While it sometimes misses a booking, it's vastly superior to any other system I use.
Case in point: Last week, I needed to travel from Edinburgh (EDI) to San Diego (SAN). As someone who always hedges my bets, I usually tend to book two or three flights for a single trip, then cancel the ones that I don't need.
I eventually settled on an award flight from London (LHR) to San Diego (SAN). I booked this a few months ago and paid an outrageous 57,500 American Airlines miles plus ~$900 in fees for business class. That's exorbitant, but it's what you're going to pay for flying with British Airways from London — and I really needed to get back to San Diego quickly. In this case, a direct flight was the best course of action.
I think you can see where this is going.
How AwardWallet Saved Me 70k Miles
So here I am, sitting in my apartment in Edinburgh, enjoying a glass of wine as I check in to my flight with British Airways. Standard move just before starting to pack.
And imagine my surprise when, a few minutes later, I got a notification from AwardWallet that my flight from Frankfurt (FRA) to San Francisco (SFO) was ready for check-in!
AwardWallet often notifies you about check-in before the airline does — which is great for low-cost airlines where early check-in can help with seat selection.
You see, I'd booked a Condor flight ages ago using 70,000 Alaska Airlines miles. At the time, the direct flight from London (LHR) to San Diego (SAN) wasn't available. Rather than risk flying in economy, I decided that positioning to Frankfurt and from San Francisco was worth it.
But then the better flight appeared, and when I tried to cancel my Condor flight, Alaska told me I'd need to call in to do so. Calling in to an airline is one of the last things on my want-to-do list, so I put it off.
And then, I forgot. At least until AwardWallet popped up, letting me know that the flight was still booked and now ready for check-in!
One frantic phone call to Alaska later, and the 70,000 miles were back in my account!
AwardWallet Saved Me Almost $1,500 in Miles
I'm sure I don't need to tell you that 70,000 Alaska Mileage Plan miles is a huge amount to lose. In fact, according to recent AwardWallet user redemptions, that was nearly $1,500 worth of miles. And as you can see in the screenshot above, it was the majority of my balance with Alaska.
Now, there's a chance that I may have remembered that I'd booked that Condor flight before it took off. But with packing and the stress that goes along with it, that chance was slim. And Alaska Mileage Plan doesn't refund miles and taxes on award bookings after the departure time. So, I was that close to losing all of those miles.
That's why I'm so glad I have an AwardWallet subscription. While I've invested $50 for the year, it's just saved me $1,500 in Alaska miles.
Finally, note that although I pay for the Plus subscription, travel tracking and notifications are available to all members, free of charge.
Track all of your travel plans, including flights, hotels, rental cars, events, and more through AwardWallet. Sign up for free and get three free months of AwardWallet Plus!
Related: How to Use the AwardWallet Lounge Tool to Find All the Airport Lounges You Can Access
Final Thoughts
I’m not the most organized traveler when it comes to keeping track of flights and reservations, and with the amount I travel, that can sometimes lead to costly mistakes. That’s exactly why I rely on AwardWallet.
In this case, a timely notification reminded me about a long-forgotten award flight, saving me nearly $1,500 in Alaska miles. Without that heads-up, there’s a good chance I would have missed the deadline and lost those miles entirely.
If you book a lot of travel — especially if you often hold multiple reservations for the same trip — AwardWallet is a no-brainer. And while I pay for the Plus subscription, even free members get access to travel tracking and notifications. It’s a small investment that can pay for itself many times over — as I’ve learned yet again.
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