Here’s a compact guide to platforms and tools you can use to book flights with points — plus quick pros/cons and practical tips.

1. Airline websites / frequent‑flyer portals

• Examples: United, Delta, American, Alaska, Southwest, British Airways, Air France/KLM, Singapore Airlines, etc.
• Pros: Direct access to each airline’s award inventory, lowest fees for that airline’s miles, ability to see partner awards (depending on site).
• Cons: Inventory can be fragmented; some sites (e.g., Delta) use dynamic pricing so award cost varies.

2. Alliance/partner booking (via airline portals)

• Use a member airline’s site to book partner flights across alliances (Star Alliance, Oneworld, SkyTeam) or individual partner networks.
• Pros: Can unlock lower award rates or routes not sold by the marketed carrier.
• Cons: Requires knowing which carriers are partners; availability may not always show online (call required sometimes).

3. Credit‑card travel portals that use transferable points

• Examples: Chase Ultimate Rewards Portal, American Express Travel, Capital One Travel.
• How they work: Book cash tickets with points (sometimes with a fixed redemption value) or transfer points to airline partners.
• Pros: Simpler booking experience; some portals offer a fixed value per point or exclusive inventory.
• Cons: Often less value than transferring to airline partners for premium awards.

4. Transfer partners (credit card → airline)

• Major transferable currencies: Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou, Capital One Miles.
• Pros: Often the best value for long‑haul premium awards when you transfer to the right airline partner and find award space.
• Cons: Transfers can be irreversible and sometimes take time; partner award availability is the limiting factor.

5. Award search / aggregator tools

• Examples (popular tools): AwardHacker, Point.Me (formerly Juicy Miles variant), ExpertFlyer (paid for detailed availability alerts), AwardWallet (keeps track of balances), KVS Tool, Aeroplan/United award search engines.
• Pros: Help find partner availability across multiple programs and show comparative pricing.
• Cons: Some are paid or have limited free features; may not always show 100% of partner inventory.

6. Paid award‑booking services

• Services that search and book awards for you (e.g., Point.Me’s concierge/paid help, JuicyMiles, independent award bookers).
• Pros: Saves time, useful for complex itineraries, routing quirks, or large group bookings.
• Cons: Service fees on top of award taxes/fees.

7. Phone booking with airlines

• When online inventory is missing or mixed‑carrier itineraries are complex, calling the airline (or partner) is often necessary.
• Pros: Agents can find/book partner awards not visible online or combine segments.
• Cons: Agent knowledge varies; expect hold times and sometimes phone booking fees.

Practical tips to get better value

• Always compare transferring points vs booking through your card portal — transferring often yields higher value for premium cabins.
• Search award space on the airline that actually issues the miles you want to use; then transfer only when you see space.
• Use flexible search tools (date ranges, nearby airports) to find lower‑cost dates or open‑jaw routings.
• Watch for carrier fees and fuel surcharges (e.g., some European carriers impose high surcharges).
• For complex partner itineraries, call the award‑issuing airline if the site won’t book it.
• Keep an eye on dynamic vs fixed award charts: some programs have fixed award charts (predictable), others are dynamic (price varies with cash fare).
• If short on time or experience, paid award‑booking services can save headache and sometimes money.

If you tell me which points you have (e.g., Chase, Amex, United, AA, Capital One) and your desired route/dates, I can search the best options and show concrete booking paths.