Short answer — the most useful award-flight services fall into three categories: do-it-yourself search tools, full-service award-booking concierges/agents, and account/points trackers. Best-in-class options (with typical fees and when to use them):

1. Point.Me — award search engine + concierge

• What it does: real-time award search across ~150+ airlines and a paid concierge option that will research and book award itineraries for you. (connect.Point.Me)
• Typical cost: search subscription (monthly or annual); concierge research/book fee commonly about $200 per passenger (plus taxes/fees). (connect.Point.Me)
• Good for: people who want a powerful search tool plus the option to hand off complicated itineraries to experts.

2. Juicy Miles — award-booking service + search tools

• What it does: paid award-search tool and a full-service award-booking team that will find and book award space for a fee. Historically popular for complex redemptions. (cntraveler.com)
• Typical cost: search or short-access fees; full-service booking fees vary (historically ~US$100–$200+ per passenger depending on complexity). (cntraveler.com)
• Good for: travelers who prefer to outsource the entire process to an experienced agent.

3. AwardWallet — points/accounts tracker + booking queue

• What it does: tracks balances, expirations and travel plans across hundreds of programs; offers an award-booking/concierge queue (and can alert you when transfers post). (business.AwardWallet.com)
• Typical cost: free tier + AwardWallet Plus paid features (small annual fee). (apps.apple.com)
• Good for: anyone who wants to keep many loyalty accounts organized and be notified when points arrive so you can grab award seats quickly.

4. AwardHacker / reference tools

• What it does: calculator/cheat-sheet to compare which loyalty programs might have the lowest theoretical price for a route (note: it does not search live availability). Use as a planning starting point, not a live-booking tool. (blog.awardfares.com)
• Good for: early-stage research and comparing programs.

5. Specialist/concierge agencies & individual award agents

• Examples: established award agents and travel-consultancy shops (many independent experts and firms — historically names include Juicy Miles’ full‑service team, boutique booking agents, and travel-concierge firms). Prices vary (usually $100–$400+ per passenger for research/booking depending on route complexity). Industry coverage and quality vary; expect to pay more for complex multi-stop or premium-cabin redemptions. (cntraveler.com)
• Good for: complex itineraries, multi-passenger bookings, or when you value time-savings and expert ticketing (e.g., routing through mixed alliances, using transfer timing).

Quick guidance on choosing:

• If you want control and a tool to find options yourself: try Point.Me or Juicy Miles’ search tools. They surface many award routings and explain how to book. (connect.Point.Me)
• If you don’t want to do the work (or have a complicated trip): pay a concierge/award agent — expect per-passenger research/booking fees but save time and often get better routings. (Point.Me)
• If you need organization and alerts: use AwardWallet to track balances, transfers, and get notified when points post so you can act fast. (AwardWallet.com)
• For theory/planning only: AwardHacker (doesn’t find live seats). (blog.awardfares.com)

Warnings / trade-offs

• No tool or agent can guarantee finding every possible award seat; availability moves quickly and some tools have limits or mixed user reviews. Read recent user feedback before buying subscriptions or paying concierge fees. (User experiences for some services vary widely.) (reddit.com)

If you want, I can:

• compare pricing plans and features for 2–3 specific services (e.g., Point.Me vs Juicy Miles vs AwardWallet), or
• recommend the best option for your trip if you tell me departure, destination, dates (or flexibility), number of travelers, and whether you prefer to DIY or hire an agent.