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Point.Me is a game-changer for finding live award pricing across dozens of airlines. However, one of the biggest downsides is the significant time that it takes to actually search live award availability across dozens of airlines. Depending on the route, Point.Me award searches can often take up to a couple of minutes to complete. While you see award results appear as searches are completed, it can be frustrating to wait for full results.
Enter a new feature by Point.Me called QuickLook.
Starting today, Point.Me users will start seeing the option to “QuickLook” at award availability on select routes. Instead of waiting to search for live award pricing, this new feature shows data from recent searches performed on the same route and dates. And you'll see those results in a matter of seconds rather than waiting for minutes.
AwardWallet got an early look at how the Point.Me QuickTool works. Here's what you can expect from this new feature that's rolling out to users over the next few days.
How to Use Point.Me QuickLook
Point.Me users can access QuickLook right from the Point.Me homepage. Note that the QuickLook feature is currently being beta-tested on select routes. That means you won't see this option on all routes or dates. If the route you've selected is eligible, you'll see the option to “Get a QuickLook” just under the search button.
After just a few seconds, a results page will load with the cached data. While the page resembles the Point.Me search results page, a large banner at the top of the search results reminds you that you're using QuickLook and the award availability below may no longer be available. A large button lets you “switch to live availability.”
At the top of the results, Point.Me lists the last time that this route and date combination was searched. Search results can be filtered and sorted like any other Point.Me results, including filtering by:
- Airlines
- Stops
- Times
- Programs [Card or Airline]
When you select a search result, you'll see the booking options. However, you won't find links to book this availability — as you find with typical Point.Me search results. Instead, there's a link at the bottom to search live availability. Clicking this button will launch a full Point.Me award search to check whether or not that award is still available.
Point.Me QuickLook Pros and Cons
This new Point.Me feature is a super-useful addition to an already useful tool. In addition to being able to perform full-fledged award availability searches, you can use Point.Me QuickLook to get a much quicker idea of the award pricing available on a route.
However, it's worth noting the limitations of this feature. To start, the biggest limitation is the limited number of routes for which QuickLook is enabled. However, Point.Me should expand this feature to more routes over time.
Also, note that availability will still take a few seconds to load; results aren't displayed instantly like with the cached award availability you'll find on sites like Seats.Aero. Plus, you can still only use QuickLook to search for one date at a time. Hopefully Point.Me will expand QuickLook to show cached award pricing over a flexible set of dates.
Finally, keep in mind that QuickLook award availability can be up to seven days old. Depending on the route, award availability could be completely different over that time.
Despite these limitations, it's great to see Point.Me expand its already game-changing service with this new tool. Hopefully Point.Me will continue to improve the award availability searching experience.
What do you think about the new Point.Me QuickLook tool?
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