Short answer — the easiest ways to redeem points for award flights are (1) transferable credit-card point “currencies” (Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou, Capital One) and (2) a handful of airline loyalty programs with wide partner access and good search/booking tools (notably Air France–KLM Flying Blue, Air Canada Aeroplan, Alaska Mileage Plan, Avianca LifeMiles and major U.S. carriers’ programs). (kiplinger.com)

Why those platforms are easiest

• Transferable credit-card currencies give you flexibility: you can move points to multiple airlines (so you can pick the program that has the award space and price you want) or use the issuer’s travel portal when that’s better. That flexibility is why these programs are widely recommended. (kiplinger.com)
• Some airline programs make finding and booking awards straightforward because they (a) show lots of partner inventory, (b) have fair pricing or useful award charts, and (c) offer good search tools or online booking for partner awards (Flying Blue, Aeroplan, Alaska, LifeMiles and major U.S. carriers are frequently called out). (point.me)

Practical, action‑oriented guidance

• If you want the least friction: earn transferable points (Chase/Amex/Citi/Capital One). When you find award space, transfer to the airline partner that lets you book that space. This avoids being stuck with one airline’s limited inventory. (kiplinger.com)
• Use award-search advice/tools: search availability on both the airline you want to fly and on partner programs (sometimes a partner shows cheaper saver awards). The Points Guy and award-search tools explain which partner to check for each carrier. (thepointsguy.com)
• If you prefer booking through a travel portal (simpler, fixed cents-per-point), Chase and some other issuers let you buy award travel that way — it’s easy but can be less valuable than transferring points to partners in many cases. (amp.cnn.com)

Bottom-line recommendations

• Best overall flexibility/ease: Chase Ultimate Rewards or Amex Membership Rewards (transfer to many partners + a travel portal fallback). (kiplinger.com)
• Best airline programs to check for simple partner bookings and availability: Air France–KLM (Flying Blue), Air Canada (Aeroplan), Alaska Mileage Plan, Avianca LifeMiles, and the major U.S. carriers’ programs — use whichever partner shows the award space. (point.me)

If you want, I can:

• Recommend the single best option for your typical trips (domestic vs. Europe vs. Asia), or
• Walk through an example — show how to search for a sample route and which program to transfer to/book.