Are your points and miles collecting dust? Finding the best platform to search for and book award travel can save you time and money and maximize your rewards potential. Point.me and AwardHacker are popular tools, but each has strengths and weaknesses. In this guide, we'll break down their features, pros, and cons to help you choose the right one for your travel planning needs.
Point.me Features
Point.me is designed to make the often-overwhelming world of award travel more accessible. It provides a streamlined search experience and several unique tools that eliminate the guesswork of finding those coveted award flights. If you find yourself with unused points or miles, consider visiting The Miles Market to explore options for selling them for cash.
Transfer Bonuses are Incorporated
Transfer bonuses from flexible points programs (like Chase Ultimate Rewards or Amex Membership Rewards) can significantly boost your award travel potential. Point.me saves you time and effort by automatically factoring these bonuses into search results. No more separate calculations or trying to keep track of the latest offers! For instance, if Virgin Atlantic runs a 30% transfer bonus, Point.me's results will clearly reflect the increased value, helping you make informed decisions about the best use of your points.
Complete Booking Options
Point.me is an excellent starting point for identifying potential award flights. However, the journey doesn't end there! Understanding how to actually book those flights using your points directly within the frequent flyer program is crucial. Complement your points strategy for hotel stays with tools like HotelSlash, Google Hotels, Kayak, and Pruvo. These resources help you find the best hotel deals, track prices, and even get notified when there's a price drop on the property you have your eye on. A well-rounded approach maximizes your reward potential for both flights and accommodations.
Mixed-Cabin Indicator
Sometimes, the best way to maximize your points is a mixed-cabin itinerary – think a long-haul flight with a leg in business class and the rest in the economy. However, identifying these options can be difficult, as not all frequent flyer programs offer easy ways to search for them. Point.me's mixed-cabin indicator simplifies the process, not only identifying mixed-cabin possibilities but even displaying the percentage of your flight spent in the premium cabin. This allows you to weigh the comfort upgrade against the points cost, making smarter decisions about using your rewards.
QuickLook Tool
Point.me's QuickLook tool offers a unique advantage – it gives you a sneak peek into routes where award availability has been found in the past. A separate search button will appear if you see a route using the QuickLook option. These results are based on historical data from other users, so while current availability isn't guaranteed, it's incredibly valuable for narrowing down your search. Consider it a helpful shortcut when exploring potential award flights, especially if your travel dates and destinations are flexible.
Cons of Using Point.me
While Point.me offers a streamlined experience and helpful tools, it's important to be aware of a few limitations to ensure it's the right fit for your needs:
No Option to Search Multiple Days at Once
One drawback of Point.me is the inability to search for award availability across multiple dates simultaneously. This can be restrictive for travelers with flexible schedules, as award availability often fluctuates. Frequent flyer programs allow you to toggle between a few days before and after your desired dates, providing a broader view of your options.
While not ideal, you can get a rough idea of availability trends by performing separate Point.me searches for consecutive dates around your intended travel window.
No Ability to Search Multiple Origin/Destination Airports
Another limitation of Point.me is the inability to search for multiple origin or destination airports simultaneously. This can be particularly helpful if you're open to flying in or out of different airports within the same metropolitan area. For example, a traveler based in New York might be willing to depart from JFK, Newark, or LaGuardia. Greater flexibility often translates into better award availability or lower points costs.
Potentially Misleading Search Results
It's important to know that Point.me search results might occasionally show discrepancies compared to what you see directly on the frequent flyer program's website. This seems to be a particular issue with certain AAdvantage routes. To avoid disappointment and protect your valuable points, it's always wise to double-check award availability directly on the airline's website before making any points transfers. This extra step ensures you have the most up-to-date information before finalizing your award travel plans.
AwardHacker Features
AwardHacker focuses on empowering you to maximize the value of your rewards and confidently navigate the often complex world of international award travel. It provides tools for understanding the power of rewards transfer partners and offers detailed guidance on booking those sought-after long-haul flights:
Rewards Transfer Partners
Understanding how to use rewards transfer partners is a powerful way to boost your points balance. AwardHacker has a helpful tool that lets you see how many points/miles are needed for a given flight and guides you on transferring points from flexible programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards to partner airlines.
Booking International Flights
If you want to book international award flights, AwardHacker offers a step-by-step process. Select your desired airline, then use the "Operated By" column to identify alliance partners. The "Show Routes" button will reveal different flight options for exploring.
Best Cards for AwardHacker
To fully leverage the power of AwardHacker, you need cards that earn flexible points with valuable transfer partners. Here are some excellent options, each with its own strengths:
- Citi Premier: This card offers strong points earning across everyday spending categories, providing the foundation for your AwardHacker strategy.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve: Premium perks, lucrative travel credits, and the ability to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to various airline partners make it a powerhouse for maximizing rewards travel.
- American Express Gold Card: Earn big rewards on groceries and dining with this card, making points accumulation quick and easy.
- American Express Platinum Card: While it has a higher annual fee, it offers luxurious benefits, extensive airport lounge access, and points that transfer to numerous loyalty programs, perfect for those seeking premium travel experiences.
Cons of Using AwardHacker
While AwardHacker is a powerful tool, it's important to understand its limitations to avoid potential roadblocks in your award travel planning:
- Popular Programs Missing: Be aware that not all popular loyalty programs are currently supported on the AwardHacker platform. This could limit your search options if you primarily collect points within those missing programs.
- No Award Availability: AwardHacker focuses on identifying potential award routes, but it won't show you real-time availability. Remember, you'll need to verify that award space actually exists on the airline's website before getting too excited about a specific itinerary.
- Fuel Surcharges & Taxes: These additional costs, sometimes substantial, can significantly impact the true value of an award ticket. AwardHacker doesn't factor these in, so it's essential to research these fees separately as part of your booking process.
Both Point.me and AwardHacker offer valuable tools for unlocking the power of your rewards. The right choice depends on your travel goals and how you prefer to manage your miles and points.
Point.me simplifies, and streamlines award travel searches, saving you time and maximizing your earning potential.
AwardHacker is ideal for savvy travelers seeking to maximize complex awards bookings with an emphasis on rewards transfer partners.
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