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There are a handful of tools I turn to when I’m looking for the perfect award redemption. The first is often FlightConnections — a web- and app-based mapping tool that shows routings for nearly 700 airlines and 4,000 airports.
Searches are fast, and the user interface is sleek and easy to navigate. There are several useful filters, including the ability to search for routes by airline or airline alliance, number of stops, fare class and even type of aircraft. You can also search for all arrivals and departures at any airport within a selected radius, which can be helpful in areas with a high density of airports (such as New York City).
FlightConnections offers both free and premium versions ($39.99 annually). The free version lets you filter by one airport and airline at a time, but most of the more powerful filters require the premium version. You can also snag a lifetime membership for $149. However, FlightConnections doesn’t offer a monthly premium membership, and while you can search by airline alliance, you can’t search by loyalty program.
I’ve used FlightConnections to find stopover cities and positioning flights on routes that I might otherwise have missed, and I think it’s easily worth the price if you use it a few times each year. It’s great for trip planning and quickly seeing where you can go and how to get there.
On this page
Features and membership details
FlightConnections offers a free and paid version. Here’s how the features stack up:
| Feature | FlightConnections Free | FlightConnections Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $0. |
|
| Number of airlines covered | 692. | 692. |
| Number of airports/cities covered | 3,942. | 3,942. |
| Unique route pairs | 58,300. | 58,300. |
| Flight schedules | 2 months out. | 12 months out. |
| Advertisements | Yes. | No. |
| Search filters |
|
|
Both versions of FlightConnections offer access to the same number of airlines, airports and route pairs with a specific origin city and destination. The free version has ads, integrates a flight schedule up to two months out and lets you search the route map for one airline, or for flights between one departure and one arrival airport. You can also search for flights within a 500 kilometer (311-mile) radius of any arrival or departure airport.
For example, using the radius search from New York City, you can see all direct routes to Europe within a 311-mile departure radius, which includes John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport and LaGuardia Airport.
FlightConnections Premium does all that and adds a number of useful filters, including class of service, aircraft type, flight time, distance, duration, and to or from a particular country for an unlimited number of airlines. You can also combine those filters for a multi-criteria search.
What FlightConnections does well
It helps with trip planning
FlightConnections is the first place I turn when planning a trip. Whether it’s a simple domestic itinerary or one that involves stopovers or more complicated routings, FlightConnections makes it easy to find options for getting between two (or more) places.
It includes flight schedules
One of my favorite features of FlightConnections is the integration of flight schedules. In addition to showing flight options, it also shows you when those flights are available.
It helps you find unique or high-demand seats
Years ago, I used FlightConnections to find Asiana Airlines routes that were served (at the time) by a Boeing 747. That particular plane was outfitted with one first-class throne, a large two-seated space in the center of the first class cabin that was ideal for traveling with a companion. With the help of FlightConnections, I was able to book those seats — and I got to sit in the nose of a double-decker Boeing 747.
Where FlightConnections falls short
FlightConnections is a polished and powerful tool. But there are a couple of things to be aware of.
You can’t search by award currency
FlightConnections allows you to search by airline alliance, but there’s no ability to search for routes by a specific loyalty program, such as United MileagePlus. To do that, you’ll need to use an award search tool, such as PointsYeah.
It’s not a booking tool
FlightConnections shows routes and flight schedules, but to actually make a booking, it sends you to an external third-party site (Kayak). This isn’t a huge deal, but be aware that you’ll need to visit multiple sites to actually verify the schedule and book a ticket.
How to search with FlightConnections
The FlightConnections homepage introduces you to the app’s colorful, interactive map. The different color dots indicate how many nonstop destinations are served by a particular airport.
To complete a search, select your origin and destination in the search bar, then adjust the filters you want to use. Filters that are unavailable with the premium version will have a lock icon next to them.
Search by airport
FlightConnections is great for finding all destinations served by a specific airport. You can input the origin in the “from” search box. The example below shows all airports serviced nonstop from Tampa, Florida.
Search by price
FlightConnections integrates with the online travel agency Kayak to provide pricing data. If you aren’t set on a destination but are budget-conscious, you can toggle the “price view” feature to get a nifty price-based destination map.
Search by airline alliance
My favorite filter allows you to search for routings within specific airline alliances, including Oneworld, SkyTeam and Star Alliance. This makes it easy to visually see where partner airlines fly. If I’m looking to use miles, I find route pairs that serve a destination, then head to an award search tool like PointsYeah to find award availability.
For example, say you’re a United Airlines loyalist and want to use MileagePlus miles to fly nonstop on any Star Alliance carrier from the U.S. to China in April 2026. Within seconds, you’ll see all routes that match your search.
The airline alliance filter is also a great way to find routes that allow a free stopover on award tickets.
Last year, I was looking for a flight to Stockholm from anywhere on the East Coast of the U.S. Before I booked my flight, I used FlightConnections and found that the route from Washington D.C. to Stockholm was served by Air France-KLM, which meant I could get a free stopover in either Paris or Amsterdam at no additional cost when I booked my flight with Flying Blue miles.
Search by date
FlightConnections’ integrated flight schedules let you easily filter by date. You can also see what routes are serviced seasonally, such as the route below from Tampa to Ottawa, Canada, which shows “Ends in April” by the Ottawa dot.
Search by aircraft type (and class of service)
Maybe you want to experience a specific business class product only available on particular types of aircraft, such as Qatar Airways Qsuites. While there are a number of aircraft outfitted with the Qsuites seats, Qsuites are currently only guaranteed on Airbus A350-1000 aircraft. FlightConnections makes it easy to see all Qatar Airways routes served by an A350-1000 by selecting the appropriate aircraft in the drop down menu.
Is FlightConnections worth it?
FlightConnections is one of the most valuable tools in my award travel toolbox. It’s lightning fast, the streamlined user interface is pleasant and easy to use, and the filters are incredibly useful. While the free version can be powerful enough for infrequent travelers, I think the price of FlightConnections premium version is well worth it — especially because I haven’t found another tool like it.
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