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If you’re not using an award search tool to supplement your travel planning, you should be. Instead of searching one individual airline at a time, these websites let users search a wide array of supported airlines concurrently. Luckily for award travelers, several tools have popped up in the past few years. But with all these options, how should you know which one to use?
Well, you could use all of them, but that’s not realistic for most people — nor an efficient use of time. While many different functions exist, this article will focus on tools that allow users to choose an origin and destination and search for award flights between them. Specifically, this article examines the following three websites:
Page Contents
Flight Award Search Tool Evaluation Criteria
Above all else, these three tools do similar things: Help travelers find award space. My evaluation of these tools relies on the following criteria:
- Supported airlines and loyalty programs
- Searchable window
- Speed of results
- Ability to customize results
- Award options found
- Cached results functionality
- Additional noteworthy features
- Cost
Of course, these aren’t the only factors one might consider for choosing a preferred award search tool. However, the scope of my analysis only focuses on these factors, which I believe to be most important to making an informed choice.
Supported Airlines and Loyalty Programs
When it comes to the sheer volume of airlines and programs searched by each tool, Point.me remains unmatched. When performing searches, Point.me queries 34 different airline programs and over 100 different airlines all at once.
Meanwhile, PointsYeah and Roame.Travel search only a small subset of what Point.me does. At the moment, PointsYeah searches 19 distinct airline programs, while Roame.Travel boasts just 15.
Be advised that not every tool searches the same set of programs. For instance, Point.me queries the widest array of award programs, though that does not include Spirit Airlines’ Free Spirit. Meanwhile, PointsYeah and Roame.Travel both include Free Spirit in search results. Similarly, PointsYeah stands alone by showing Wells Fargo Rewards as a transferrable points program.
Winner: Point.me
Distant second: PointsYeah
Third place: Roame.Travel
Searchable Window
In the points and miles world, flexibility is often the name of the game. Increased flexibility, particularly with travel dates, improves the likelihood of finding great award travel options. As a result, having a window of dates, rather than just one particular date, often helps travelers find suitable flights.
PointsYeah eases this burden of performing iterative searches for multiple dates, even with its free version! Free users may search up to four consecutive days at once using PointsYeah, while premium users may double that window and search up to eight consecutive days simultaneously.
While not quite as expansive, Roame.Travel does allow users to search multiple days at a time. Free users can add +/- one day from their selected travel date. Paid users may expand this range to +/- three days. Unfortunately, these are fixed ranges and not customizable, as they are for PointsYeah. However, filtering search results may solve any potential issues.
Meanwhile, Point.me permits only single-day searches, which puts it behind its competition.
Winner: PointsYeah
Second place: Roame.Travel
Distant third: Point.me
Speed of Results
Given that each tool searches a wide array of airline programs (and airlines) and potentially a wide range of dates, there is a reasonable expectation that the speed of these searches would vary. A series of identical searches run via all three tools yielded enough evidence to determine the quickest and slowest among the competitors.
For all test searches conducted — which included all cabins, continents, and a variety of origins and destinations — PointsYeah yielded the quickest results. Average search results took 24.6 seconds to populate fully. Meanwhile, Roame.Travel impressed with an average time-to-results of 31.0 seconds.
While a gap of six or seven seconds might not stand out, an extra minute or more certainly does. In testing, Point.me averaged 109.4 seconds, or 1 minute and 49.4 seconds, for full search results. Yes, Point.me searches more programs than the other two tools, but results take much longer.
Winner: PointsYeah
Close Second: Roame.Travel
Distant Third: Point.me
Ability To Customize Results
Aggregated award search results offer only so much value when travelers deal with certain real-world constraints. Sometimes, would-be passengers only have a particular transferrable currency to use toward flights. Other times, high taxes and fees might be a deterrent. Perhaps only direct flights will do for some. All three tools offer some way to filter and sort results.
Point.me users may filter by Airline, Loyalty Program, Time of Day, and Number of Stops. Sort options exist for Quickest Flights, Points Low to High, and “Point.me picks,” as well. These options suffice in most cases but leave a bit to be desired.
Roame.Travel users enjoy more filters than those of Point.me, though not all of the same ones. Loyalty Program, Transferrable Currency, Number of Stops, Percent Premium Cabin, Max Fees, and Max Points are filter options. Similarly, Roame.Travel sort options include Lowest Points, Departure Time, Flight Duration, and “Roame’s Pick.” These options expand on what Point.me offers but still don’t capture everything.
PointsYeah users enjoy the most customizable set of results of all three tools. The array of filter and sort options is almost too long to list! Filter by:
- Loyalty Program
- Bank Program
- Number of Stops
- Airline
- Max Points
- Max Taxes/Fees
- Max Trip Duration
- Percent Premium Cabin
- Time of Day
- Aircraft Type
- Departure Airport
- Arrival Airport
- Connecting Airport
Meanwhile, sort options include Points Low to High, Quickest Flights, Taxes Low to High, Departure Time, Arrival Time, and Cash Low to High. The competition simply can’t keep up with PointsYeah in this regard.
Winner: PointsYeah
Second place: Roame.Travel
Distant third: Point.me
Award Options Found
Given that Point.me searches more programs than either of its competitors, it’s reasonable to expect improved search results relative to its competitors. Often, these improved results stick out like a sore thumb. For instance, let's look at a one-way business class search between Newark (EWR) and Frankfurt (FRA). Point.me finds an option that costs just 40,000 Asiana Club Miles (though with very high fees).
Meanwhile, PointsYeah finds the same route, though only as low as 70,000 points through Air Canada Aeroplan.
Relatedly, Roame.Travel found the same award space; anecdotally, though, I had to run the same award search more than once to get things to show up.
Note that PointsYeah and Roame.Travel both return options via Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan for only 45,000 miles, albeit with over $1,000 in surcharges.
Point.me isn't always preferable
Still, it’s worth mentioning that better search results through Point.me exist only as a possibility and not as a certainty. Many test searches yielded the same options from a lowest points perspective.
Furthermore, there were times when Point.me did not find the lowest points cost routing. For example, a one-way economy search from Singapore (SIN) to Sydney (SYD). Both Point.me and Roame.Travel found an option on Cathay Pacific through Hong Kong for 30,000 American Airlines miles.
However, PointsYeah found a slightly lower-cost option through Aeroplan. For just 25,000 Aeroplan points, a different one-stop option exists:
I also was able to verify these search results just after testing this route. These results were particularly surprising, given that all three tools claim to search Aeroplan for flights.
A cautionary tale
Be advised that while these tools offer incredible award search potential, they remain a way to complement the award search process. Searching for a common route, New York (JFK) to London-Heathrow (LHR), in economy class should return a litany of options. Despite all of the routes that populated across all three tools, none of the three showed award space through Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, though, in fairness, the program is currently unavailable through PointsYeah.
To verify the results, I searched the same route on Virgin Atlantic's website a second later. Award space showed up for this route!
To be clear, these results (probably) represent the exception, rather than the rule. Still, it highlights the fact that good, old-fashioned award searches through airline websites might still hold value.
Winner: A mixed bag of Point.me, PointsYeah, and possibly none of the above
Third place: Roame.Travel
Cached Results Functionality
All three tools offer some functionality where users may browse recent search results across all users. I think of this almost as a source of travel inspiration. Perhaps there is an opportune time to travel but no particular destination in mind. In that case, this kind of functionality lets points and miles lead the way!
Point.me Explore
Point.me calls this feature “Explore.” Explore requires an origin airport, though the destination defaults to “Anywhere.” Results for Point.me Explore were lightning fast, unlike the site's active searches Explore gives travelers a rough starting point and allows filters based on activity/trip type. However, beyond that, I found Explore to lack some of the features I would expect from a tool that uses stored search results.
Being able to search basically the entire calendar of dates is a win, but without a way to meaningfully filter results, such as by number of points or by airline program, those less familiar with typical award availability might be disappointed when they find out that the low points business class option to Europe requires $700+ per person in cash as well.
PointsYeah Daydream Explorer
PointsYeah dubs its own version of this as “Daydream Explorer.” Users may search up to 60 consecutive days of recent search results. There are even destination categories, such as “Beach,” “Foodie,” and “Off the beaten path,” for those who have a specific kind of trip in mind.
Origin and Destination Airport options also allow for looser-defined areas, such as “North America” or even “Anywhere,” for those with a global appetite for travel. Results are virtually instant, too!
Roame.Travel Skyview
Roame.Travel uses the term “Skyview” for its version of this feature. Skyview offers a “bird’s eye view of award availability” for those using the tool. Though its filter options remain more limited than those provided by PointsYeah, very similar functionality exists.
Interestingly, Roame.Travel shows what percent of the itinerary is in a premium cabin but requires an additional click to see how recently the result was found. Meanwhile, the opposite is true for PointsYeah. User preference may prevail, though both tools offer Percent Premium Cabin as a filter option. Therefore, PointsYeah’s site feature gets the edge in this category.
Narrow winner: PointsYeah
Very close second: Roame.Travel
Distant third: Point.me
Additional Noteworthy Features
While the core function of these tools remains award flight searches, each offers a little more than just that. For instance, Point.me provides step-by-step directions for booking flights, which benefit less experienced travelers. Key facts about the award program, such as transfer times and award hold possibilities, also appear.
Roame.Travel has a “My Wallet” feature, which lets users add cards and program balances. Point.me offers this, too, but what sets Roame.Travel apart is the tracker for total annual fees and 5/24 status.
PointsYeah takes additional features in a different direction. PointsYeah allows users to set flight award search preferences, though it gets better: PointsYeah also offers a hotel search! Complete with filters and more, the hotel search capabilities from PointsYeah make it a one-stop-shop of sorts for all points-related travel.
Note that each site has countless nuances — quite honestly, too many to list concisely. Each tool's layout presents similar information in a slightly different way. Each individual's personal preference will determine the winner for such aspects. Regarding unique features, though, hotel award searching adds an unmatched dynamic.
Winner: PointsYeah
Second place: Point.me
Third place: Roame.Travel
Cost
Each tool comes at a cost — some more favorable than others. All three websites offer a free option, although the scope varies. Point.me, for instance, only offers free users access to the “Explore” feature. Meanwhile, PointsYeah and Roame.Travel allow free users to make actual flight searches. PointsYeah offers the most to its free users: up to a four-day simultaneous search window, up to four award alerts, and access to all other site features. Roame.Travel offers free users a three-day simultaneous search window but a limited version of “Skyview” and no alerts.
Among paid versions, PointsYeah offers the lowest price at just $89.99 annually. The only differences between paid and free versions are extending the four-day search window to eight days and increasing the number of award alerts to 32.
Meanwhile, Roame.Travel costs $109.99 annually — $20 more than PointsYeah. The paid version of Roame.Travel comes with full “Skyview” access, plus five alerts, email support, and, temporarily, a $20 credit to book experiences on Klook.
Point.me offers the most expensive paid option at $129 annually — $19 more than the paid version of Roame.Travel and $49 more than the paid version of PointsYeah. Point.me requires a paid subscription to perform individual searches (which come with booking instructions). Conversely,
Do note that Roame.Travel and Point. me include even higher tiers of paid memberships that come with extra functionality. However, for most individuals interested in points and miles, the lower paid options should suffice.
Winner: PointsYeah
Second place: Roame.Travel
Third place: Point.me
The Verdict: Which Award Flight Availability Search Tool Is Best?
For those keeping score throughout the article, it is no surprise that PointsYeah takes the cake from an overall tool standpoint. While PointsYeah searches fewer airline programs than Point.me, it comes in first (or tied for first) in every other category.
Arguments for second place and third place exist for the remaining programs. Point.me searches more programs and returns arguably better results than Roame.Travel. However, compared to Roame.Travel, said searches take longer, include only one day instead of three or five, and offer fewer customization options. Plus, Point.me costs more than either alternative, which could be the defining factor for users.
Ultimately, an individual’s award search tool preference remains inherently personal. What matters most to one person might matter least to another.
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