Page Contents<\/p>
- Flight Award Search Tool Evaluation Criteria<\/a><\/li>
- Supported Airlines and Loyalty Programs<\/a><\/li>
- Searchable Window<\/a><\/li>
- Speed of Results<\/a><\/li>
- Ability To Customize Results<\/a><\/li>
- Award Options Found<\/a>
- Point.me isn't always preferable<\/a><\/li>
- A cautionary tale<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Cached Results Functionality<\/a>
- Point.me Explore<\/a><\/li>
- PointsYeah Daydream Explorer<\/a><\/li>
- Roame.Travel Skyview<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Additional Noteworthy Features<\/a><\/li>
- Cost<\/a><\/li>
- The Verdict: Which Award Flight Availability Search Tool Is Best?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n
Flight Award Search Tool Evaluation Criteria<\/span><\/h2>\n
Above all else, these three tools do similar things: Help travelers find award space. My evaluation of these tools relies on the following criteria:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Supported airlines and loyalty programs<\/li>\n
- Searchable window<\/li>\n
- Speed of results<\/li>\n
- Ability to customize results<\/li>\n
- Award options found<\/li>\n
- Cached results functionality<\/li>\n
- Additional noteworthy features<\/li>\n
- Cost<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Of course, these aren\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n
Supported Airlines and Loyalty Programs<\/span><\/h2>\n
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.<\/p>\n
![\"List](\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\")
Credit: Point.me<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n 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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019 Free Spirit<\/a>. Meanwhile, PointsYeah and Roame.Travel both include Free Spirit in search results. Similarly, PointsYeah stands alone by showing Wells Fargo Rewards<\/a> as a transferrable points program.<\/p>\n
Winner:<\/strong> Point.me
\nDistant second:<\/strong> PointsYeah
\nThird place:<\/strong> Roame.Travel<\/p>\nSearchable Window<\/span><\/h2>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Point.me permits only single-day searches, which puts it behind its competition.<\/p>\n
Winner:<\/strong> PointsYeah
\nSecond place:<\/strong> Roame.Travel
\nDistant third:<\/strong> Point.me<\/p>\nSpeed of Results<\/span><\/h2>\n
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.<\/p>\n
For all test searches conducted \u2014 which included all cabins, continents, and a variety of origins and destinations \u2014 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Winner:<\/strong> PointsYeah
\nClose Second:<\/strong> Roame.Travel
\nDistant Third:<\/strong> Point.me<\/p>\nAbility To Customize Results<\/span><\/h2>\n
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<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n
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 \u201cPoint.me picks,\u201d as well. These options suffice in most cases but leave a bit to be desired.<\/p>\n
Credit: Point.me<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n 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 \u201cRoame\u2019s Pick.\u201d These options expand on what Point.me offers but still don\u2019t capture everything.<\/p>\n
Credit: Roame.Travel<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n 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:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Loyalty Program<\/li>\n
- Bank Program<\/li>\n
- Number of Stops<\/li>\n
- Airline<\/li>\n
- Max Points<\/li>\n
- Max Taxes\/Fees<\/li>\n
- Max Trip Duration<\/li>\n
- Percent Premium Cabin<\/li>\n
- Time of Day<\/li>\n
- Aircraft Type<\/li>\n
- Departure Airport<\/li>\n
- Arrival Airport<\/li>\n
- Connecting Airport<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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\u2019t keep up with PointsYeah in this regard.<\/p>\n
Credit: PointsYeah<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n Winner:<\/strong> PointsYeah
\nSecond place:<\/strong> Roame.Travel
\nDistant third:<\/strong> Point.me<\/p>\nAward Options Found<\/span><\/h2>\n
Given that Point.me searches more programs than either of its competitors, it\u2019s 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).<\/p>\n
Credit: Point.me<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n Meanwhile, PointsYeah finds the same route, though only as low as 70,000 points through Air Canada Aeroplan<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Credit: PointsYeah<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n 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.<\/p>\n
Credit: Roame.Travel<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n Note that PointsYeah and Roame.Travel both return options via Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan<\/a> for only 45,000 miles, albeit with over $1,000 in surcharges.<\/p>\n
Point.me isn't always preferable<\/span><\/h3>\n
Still, it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Credit: Point.me<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n Credit: Roame.Travel<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n However, PointsYeah found a slightly lower-cost option through Aeroplan. For just 25,000 Aeroplan points, a different one-stop option exists:<\/p>\n
Credit: PointsYeah<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n 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.<\/p>\n
Though the screenshot shows a different routing, the points cost remains the same via Aeroplan: just 25,000. Credit: Aeroplan<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n A cautionary tale<\/span><\/h3>\n
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<\/a>, though, in fairness, the program is currently unavailable through PointsYeah.<\/p>\n
Credit: Point.me<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n Credit: PointsYeah<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n Credit: Roame.Travel<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n To verify the results, I searched the same route on Virgin Atlantic's website a second later. Award space showed up for this route!<\/p>\n
Credit: Virgin Atlantic<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n 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.<\/p>\n
Winner:<\/strong> A mixed bag of Point.me, PointsYeah, and possibly none of the above
\nThird place:<\/strong> Roame.Travel<\/p>\nCached Results Functionality<\/span><\/h2>\n
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!<\/p>\n
Point.me Explore<\/span><\/h3>\n
- PointsYeah Daydream Explorer<\/a><\/li>
- A cautionary tale<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Supported Airlines and Loyalty Programs<\/a><\/li>
![\"List](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Point.me_ProgramsSearched-1024x348.png\")
![\"Point.me](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Point.me_FilterSort-1024x179.png\")
![\"Roame.Travel](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Roame.Travel_FilterSort-1024x210.png\")
![\"PointsYeah](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/PointsYeah_FilterSort-1024x255.png\")
![\"Point.me](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Point.me_EWRtoFRA_biz-1024x551.png\")
![\"PointsYeah](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/PointsYeah_EWRtoFRA_biz-1024x478.png\")
![\"Roame.Travel](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Roame.Travel_EWRtoFRA_biz-1024x380.png\")
![\"Point.me](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Point.me_SINtoSYD_econ-1024x513.png\")
![\"Roame.Travel](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Roame.Travel_SINtoSYD_econ-1024x376.png\")
![\"PointsYeah](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/PointsYeah_SINtoSYD_econ-1024x480.png\")
![\"Aeroplan](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/AC_SINtoSYD_econ-1024x358.png\")
![\"Point.me](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Point.me_JFKtoLHR_econ-1-1024x497.png\")
![\"PointsYeah](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/PointsYeah_JFKtoLHR_econ-1-1024x351.png\")
![\"Roame.Travel](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Roame.Travel_JFKtoLHR_econ-1024x376.png\")
![\"Virgin](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/VS_JFKtoLHR_econ-1024x374.png\")
![\"Illustration](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Point.me_Explore-1024x313.png\")
![\"PointsYeah](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/PointsYeah_DaydreamExplorer-1024x556.png\")
![\"Roame.Travel](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Roame.Travel_Skyview-1024x452.png\")
![\"Point.me](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Point.me_HowToBook-1024x612.png\")
![\"Roame.Travel](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Roame.Travel_MyWallet-1024x390.png\")
![\"PointsYeah](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/PointsYeah_HotelSearch-1024x471.png\")