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If you’ve got a stash of points and miles but aren’t quite sure where to go, Point.me’s Explore tool offers a helpful starting point. It provides a bird’s-eye view of award flight options across multiple destinations, making it easier to find trips you can book with points, even if you don’t have a specific place in mind.
Here's how the Point.me Explore tool can help you pick a place to go, based on your available rewards.
To use the Point.me Explore tool, you'll need a paid membership. Subscriptions typically start at $12 per month or $129 per year for a Standard plan, while the Premium Plan costs $260 per year. Use Point.me promo code “AWARDWALLET” to save 25% on annual plans ($96 for Standard or $169 for Premium).
The Point.me Explore Tool
For the unfamiliar, Point.me is a tool that searches several airline loyalty programs at once for award availability. By entering your origin, destination, and travel dates, you can compare flight options and view the best points and miles currencies to book with. It's an easy way to speed up the award search process.
If you’re not sure where to go, Point.me’s Explore tool can help surface options based on your interests. You can enter your departure airport and a range of travel dates, then browse destinations by theme — like culture or beach getaways — along with the points required to book each itinerary. Even better, it's pretty easy to use.
If you want even more help, you can use Point.me's more expensive concierge service, featuring points consulting and a few more premium perks. However, the Explore tool is accessible with any Standard plan, so there's no need to splurge if you don't have to.
Related: Which Flight Award Availability Search Tool Is Best?
How the Explore tool works
After you've signed in, click “Explore” in the top menu bar. Now for the fun part. Enter your departure airport, intended class of travel, your date ranges, and a theme. Or, if you're really unsure about where to go with your points, there's also an “anywhere” option. If you're flexible on dates, you can search up to a year at a time.
Once you’ve entered your criteria, click “Explore” for the results.
Once the results start rolling in, you’ll see available flights at the center of the screen. But there are two caveats. First, the results you see might be outdated, so you'll want to “Search live availability” when you stumble across an appealing destination. Second, the advertised price might not be accurate. After performing numerous searches, the majority of results were at least 100 days old, so take them with a grain of salt.
For example, the 63,000-mile pricing for a nonstop flight between New York (JFK) and Rome (FCO) in American Airlines business class might have been available at one point. However, once you click “see available flights,” the actual number is 154,000 points. Bummer, we know.
After clicking “See available flights,” you’ll be taken to Point.me’s standard search results page. Your Explore criteria will carry over, and the results will begin populating automatically.
From there, you can refine your results by filtering for airlines, number of stops, supported credit cards, and loyalty programs. You can also sort results in a few different ways.
And, as with typical Point.me searches, you'll get a snapshot of the currencies you can transfer to make the booking.
From there, the final steps are to confirm availability with the airline, transfer points (if necessary), and complete your booking. It's that easy.
Related: Which Credit Card Should You Use to Pay Award Taxes and Fees?
Final Thoughts
Whether you're indecisive or just looking for another way to explore all the places your points can take you, Point.me's Explore tool is a handy resource to keep in your back pocket. To try it out, head over to Point.me and start planning your next vacation. However, understand that pricing isn't always up to date, so always confirm availability before making any transfers.
