Here’s a concise, balanced list of common pros and cons people report about using AwardFares (a paid award-ticket search/booking service that locates and books frequent‑flyer award space).

Pros

• Time savings: they search many programmes, routes and partner availability quickly so you don’t have to comb multiple airline sites.
• Breadth of search: they can combine multiple alliances/partners and mixed‑carrier itineraries that are hard to find on consumer search tools.
• Expert routing knowledge: staff often know tricks for routing, partner rules, stopovers and mixed‑cabin issues that increase the chance of finding usable award space.
• Holds and booking help: they can place holds, call airlines, and complete telephone bookings (helpful when an online booking path doesn’t exist).
• Alerts and complex requests: they will monitor for specific dates/cabins and notify you if space appears.
• Simplifies redemptions: they can show total miles + taxes/fees and often handle the sometimes-confusing booking steps across different frequent‑flyer programs.
• Good for difficult itineraries: round‑the‑world, multi‑city, or premium-cabin redemptions that require partner bookings are easier with their help.

Cons

• Fees: AwardFares charges a service fee per ticket or per reservation (this is the core tradeoff—you pay for the convenience).
• Not guaranteed cheapest: their result may not always be the lowest-cost option in miles/fees; you should compare alternatives before paying.
• Availability is volatile: award space can vanish before or during the booking process; a found itinerary may not be bookable by the time payment is made.
• Additional airline rules or phone-issuance: some itineraries require airline phone issuance or special procedures that can add complexity or delay.
• Change/cancel headaches: if you need to change or cancel, you may face airline change fees plus the service’s non‑refundable fee or additional service charges.
• Potential for errors: mistakes in traveler name/forms of ID, FFN entry, or routing can occur (verify everything closely).
• Privacy/payments: you must provide passenger data and sometimes partial payment of taxes/fees in advance — check their privacy and payment terms.
• Limited control: using a broker means you rely on their methods; if you prefer DIY or are very price‑sensitive you may not want to outsource.
• Not always necessary for simple routings: for straightforward award redemptions, the fee may not be worth the marginal benefit.

Practical tips if you use them

• Compare: run quick searches yourself (airline site or award‑search tools) so you know whether their find is reasonable.
• Get full pricing and rules in writing before paying: mileage cost, taxes/fees, how long the hold lasts, refund/change policy and who pays change fees.
• Verify frequent‑flyer numbers and name spelling carefully; get booking reference(s) and ticket numbers after issuance.
• Take screenshots and keep email confirmations. Ask how they handle reclaims/refunds if the airline cancels or reissues.
• Consider using a credit card with travel protections in case you need to dispute charges or recover fees.

If you want, I can list alternate award‑search services and DIY tools to compare, or summarize typical fee structures and customer reviews for AwardFares specifically.