Yapta, the online service that tracks airfares for you after you buy (so you can try to get reticketed with a refund or voucher), has rolled out a new feature: Tracking award availability for frequent flyer miles.

I like this idea. It’s a great start.

Right now, Yapta supports Alaska, Continental, Delta, US Airways, and United frequent flyer programs. You search for a trip, as if to purchase it. Then, you choose to track the airfare, and you tick a box to include award tickets in your tracking. You’ll get updates thereafter.

I don’t like that setup, with the requirement that you track the airfare for a particular route, and not just the award ticket availability. There are some routes that I’m not going to pay cash for — business class to Australia, anyone? — but I’m sure interested in award tickets. Why make me suffer through price-drop e-mails when the fare drops from $10,700 to $10,500, when all I want is award ticket info? (The answer, I bet, is that they don’t make any money off the award ticket information, but they’ll get a commission if you pay the cash fare by clicking through their site.)

Also, frustratingly, you seemingly have to select specific dates for your travels, and Yapta will check for award availability on that particular date. And on those particular airlines. If you’re flexible, and if you’re willing to choose multiple routings to get to your destination, it appears that you’re out of luck.

I’m also skeptical of the system seeing all real award availability. Few airlines make partner award availability available online, and even those that do limit the number of partners they’ll show online. So, at the end of the day, you’ll still need to pick up the phone. Yapta will help for simple itineraries, but for anything more complex — and those complexities make your miles worth more! — you’re not really ahead.

Bottom line: This is a great concept, but the execution isn’t quite there yet. I encourage Yapta to keep trying, though, and to offer flexible date searches and alternative routings. Then, if the airlines will play along, let’s get some partner airline searches in there.

Related:
- Track airfare before and AFTER you buy?
- Check in the mail: Orbitz refunds airfare price drops, but is it worthwhile?