Short answer — the most useful award-availability tools (today) are Point.Me, Seats.aero, Juicy Miles (and its concierge), ExpertFlyer (still useful but has gaps), plus a few free/auxiliary options. Use a mix of them, set alerts where possible, and always verify availability on the airline’s site before transferring points. (Point.Me)

Why use multiple tools

• No single tool covers every program or is 100% reliable — tools scrape different sources and occasionally miss or show “phantom” space. Verify and book quickly once you see confirmed availability. (Nursemichaeltravels.com)

Top tools (what they do best and caveats)

1. Point.Me

• Strengths: Wide coverage of programs (100+), shows partner routings and transfer recommendations, easy for beginners. Live searches and transfer guidance are helpful for complex redemptions.
• Caveats: Paid subscription; searches can be slow and some users report inconsistent results/support. Always confirm on the airline site before transferring points. (Point.Me)

2. Seats.aero (aka Seats.aero)

• Strengths: Fast calendar/year view searches, good alerting system, advanced filters, free tier plus a reasonably priced Pro subscription with live-verification features. Great for scanning many days at once.
• Caveats: Not perfectly complete (some programs may be missing at times) and cached vs live results can cause discrepancies — still widely recommended by award travelers. (thepointsparty.com)

3. Juicy Miles (search tool + concierge)

• Strengths: Straightforward award search and a paid concierge/booking service if you want experts to execute complex itineraries. Useful if you prefer to outsource booking.
• Caveats: Fee-based for full-service help; search-only users should still verify availability. (cntraveler.com)

4. ExpertFlyer

• Strengths: Longstanding tool with seat-class alerts and granular cabin/class data; very useful for finely tuned alerts (award classes, upgrades).
• Caveats: In recent years ExpertFlyer lost live access to several airlines’ award data and thus can no longer show everything; check their supported-airlines list and use it alongside other tools. (loyaltylobby.com)

5. AwardHacker / award-estimate sites (free)

• Strengths: Good for quick ideas of how many points different programs typically charge and for inspiration on which program to target.
• Caveats: They don’t show live availability — they estimate price/routing rather than search live inventory. (Useful for planning, not booking.)

6. Airline websites & alliances (direct)

• Strengths: The definitive source of truth — if an airline website shows the award and allows you to hold/book, that’s what matters.
• Caveats: Time-consuming to search program-by-program; that’s why aggregator tools are helpful as a first pass.

Other useful notes and tactics

• Set alerts (Seats.aero, ExpertFlyer, Point.Me/other paid services) for hard-to-find routes; many award seats are released unpredictably. (thepointsparty.com)
• Use award tools for discovery, then immediately confirm and book on the airline site or via the transfer partner — transfers are often irreversible and award space can vanish fast. (Point.Me)
• Try more than one paid tool for important trips. Different engines index different sources and run searches at different intervals; using two increases your chance of catching rare seats. (Nursemichaeltravels.com)

If you want, I can:

• Recommend a specific tool based on how often you search (rare user vs frequent redeemer) and which alliances/programs you value most, or
• Walk you through setting up an alert/search for a particular route and dates.