Look up a seat map without signing in
Anyone can search a flight on SeatMap and see its seat map. AwardFares asks you to log in, and its free plan stops at 5 lookups a month.
Check your flight
SeatMap vs AwardFaresAn AwardFares alternative for picking your seat.
AwardFares is built for award flights, and its live seat maps come with a login and a monthly lookup limit. SeatMap is an AwardFares alternative built for picking a seat: search any flight without signing in, see open seats live with Pro, and get alerted when a seat you want opens.
SeatMap vs AwardFares
AwardFares shows live open and taken seats on every plan, within 5 to 200 lookups a month. SeatMap shows the seat map with no account, rates every seat, and adds live seats, a best-seat pick and Seat Watch alerts.
Finding your seat map
| SeatMap | AwardFares | |
|---|---|---|
| Still online | Yes: Yes | Yes: Yes |
| Look up a flight by | Yes: Flight number or route, on any date | Yes: Origin, destination, flight number, date and cabin, or from award search results |
| Seats drawn to scale | Yes: Every seat drawn to scale | Not stated |
| Free without an account | Yes: Search any flight and see its seat map without signing in | No: No; seat maps need a login, with 5 lookups a month on the free plan |
- Still online
- SeatMapYes: YesAwardFaresYes: Yes
- Look up a flight by
- SeatMapYes: Flight number or route, on any dateAwardFaresYes: Origin, destination, flight number, date and cabin, or from award search results
- Seats drawn to scale
- SeatMapYes: Every seat drawn to scaleAwardFaresNot stated
- Free without an account
- SeatMapYes: Search any flight and see its seat map without signing inAwardFaresNo: No; seat maps need a login, with 5 lookups a month on the free plan
Live seats and alerts
| SeatMap | AwardFares | |
|---|---|---|
| Open and taken seats on your flight | Yes: Open and taken seats, live from the airline, with Pro | Yes: Open, taken and blocked seats, live, within your plan's monthly lookups |
| Best open seat picked for you | Yes: The best open seat picked for you, with Pro | No: No |
| Watch a seat until it opensSeat Watch: pick seats on your flight and get alerted the moment one of them opens. | Yes: Seat Watch in the SeatMap app: 1 free, 5 with Pro | No: No |
| Route alerts when seats openGet alerted when seats open on flights along a route, not just one flight. | Yes: Route alerts in the SeatMap app: 1 free, 5 with Pro | Partly: Alerts for award seats on a route, not for seats on the map |
- Open and taken seats on your flight
- SeatMapYes: Open and taken seats, live from the airline, with ProAwardFaresYes: Open, taken and blocked seats, live, within your plan's monthly lookups
- Best open seat picked for you
- SeatMapYes: The best open seat picked for you, with ProAwardFaresNo: No
- Watch a seat until it opens
- SeatMapYes: Seat Watch in the SeatMap app: 1 free, 5 with ProAwardFaresNo: No
- Route alerts when seats open
- SeatMapYes: Route alerts in the SeatMap app: 1 free, 5 with ProAwardFaresPartly: Alerts for award seats on a route, not for seats on the map
Choosing a seat
| SeatMap | AwardFares | |
|---|---|---|
| Seat ratingsA score or colour for each seat, so the good and bad ones stand out. | Yes: Every seat scored out of 10 for legroom, width, recline and where it sits | No: No; it flags premium, paid and blocked seats |
| Legroom, width and recline | Yes: The airline's published legroom, width and recline for each cabin | No: Not shown |
| Two flights side by side | Yes: Two flights' cabins side by side, seat scores and legroom included | No: No; you switch cabins on one flight |
- Seat ratings
- SeatMapYes: Every seat scored out of 10 for legroom, width, recline and where it sitsAwardFaresNo: No; it flags premium, paid and blocked seats
- Legroom, width and recline
- SeatMapYes: The airline's published legroom, width and recline for each cabinAwardFaresNo: Not shown
- Two flights side by side
- SeatMapYes: Two flights' cabins side by side, seat scores and legroom includedAwardFaresNo: No; you switch cabins on one flight
Price and apps
| SeatMap | AwardFares | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free; Pro is $19.99 a month or $99.99 a year | Free plan with 5 lookups a month; Gold $9.99 and Diamond $19.99 a month |
| Where it works | Yes: Web, iPhone and Android | Web; add it to your iPhone home screen |
- Price
- SeatMapFree; Pro is $19.99 a month or $99.99 a yearAwardFaresFree plan with 5 lookups a month; Gold $9.99 and Diamond $19.99 a month
- Where it works
- SeatMapYes: Web, iPhone and AndroidAwardFaresWeb; add it to your iPhone home screen
AwardFares details come from AwardFares pricing, AwardFares seat maps and the AwardFares help center. Plans and features change, so check their site before you pay for anything.
See it on your own flight
Search a flight number or route to see its seat map, free and without an account. With Pro, see which seats are open right now.
Why flyers pick SeatMap over AwardFares
No account Seat Watch Hear when your seat opens
AwardFares alerts you about award seats. SeatMap's Seat Watch alerts you when a seat you picked on your flight opens.
Get the appSeat scores Know which open seat is the good one
AwardFares marks seats as premium, paid or blocked. SeatMap scores every seat out of 10 for legroom, width, recline and where it sits.
When AwardFares is the better pick
SeatMap isn't the answer to every seat question. Use AwardFares if one of these is what you need.
Award flight search
It searches award space across 16 or more loyalty programs. SeatMap doesn't search fares or awards.
Award seat alerts
Email and push alerts when award seats open, on its paid plans.
Live seats on the free plan
Its free plan includes live seat maps, capped at 5 lookups a month. On SeatMap, live seats come with Pro.
Flying often?
Pro goes further.
See which seats are open right now, get the best one picked for you, and hear the moment a better one frees up.
Why look for an AwardFares alternative for seat maps?
AwardFares is an award search tool first. Its seat maps are a useful extra, but they sit behind a login and a monthly lookup count: 5 on the free plan, 30 on Gold and 200 on Diamond.
Its maps stop at availability. They show open, taken, blocked and paid seats, without legroom figures or any sense of which open seat is the good one.
SeatMap is only about the seat. Search any flight without an account, see the cabin to scale with every seat rated, and with Pro see which seats are open and get the best one picked for you.
Frequently asked questions
Does AwardFares have a free seat map tool?
Yes, with limits. Its free Basic plan includes 5 seat map lookups a month, and you need to log in. SeatMap shows any flight's seat map without an account; live open seats come with Pro.
How much does AwardFares cost?
When we checked, its pricing page listed Gold at $9.99 a month or $99 a year and Diamond at $19.99 a month or $199 a year, with 30 and 200 seat map lookups a month. SeatMap Pro is $19.99 a month or $99.99 a year.
Does AwardFares rate seats?
No. It flags premium, paid and blocked seats and which way a seat faces, but shows no legroom, width or recline figures. SeatMap scores every seat out of 10.
Can AwardFares alert me when a seat opens?
Its alerts are for award seats, not for a seat opening on a seat map. SeatMap's Seat Watch does that: pick seats on your flight and get alerted when one opens, with one free in the SeatMap app and five with Pro.
Should I use both?
If you book with points, yes: find the award on AwardFares, then use SeatMap to pick the seat on the flight you booked.
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See every alternative side by side, or skip the reading and look up your flight.
Find your seat.
Fly better.
Type a flight number to see your cabin drawn to scale: which seats are open right now, legroom, exit rows and reviews from people who sat there.