Bottom Line: PointsYeah is one of the fastest and most user-friendly award search tools available, offering both flight and hotel searches across multiple loyalty programs for free, with premium features starting at $99.99 annually. If you're looking for a comprehensive tool to maximize your points and miles, PointsYeah delivers exceptional value for both beginners and advanced travelers.
PointsYeah at a Glance
The free version of PointsYeah offers access to 22 airline programs, 6 hotel programs, and 6 bank programs with searches over a 4-day window and up to 4 active flight and hotel alerts. The premium version at $99.99 annually expands your search window to 8 consecutive days, enables multi-airport searches (up to 2 origins and 2 destinations), and increases your alert capacity to 32 flight alerts and 15 hotel alerts. Both versions deliver lightning-fast search speeds of under 20 seconds.
What Makes PointsYeah Special
PointsYeah positions itself as "the best all-in-one points travel planning (award search) site on earth and it's free" – and after extensive testing, that claim holds considerable merit. The platform is fast, user-friendly, and offers both flight and hotel searches across a wide selection of loyalty programs, all for free.
Lightning-Fast Search Results
PointsYeah boasts very quick search times: 20 seconds for flights and hotels, with full single-day search results often populating in as few as 10 seconds. Even complex multi-day searches typically complete within 20 seconds, making it one of the fastest award search tools available. When compared to competitors like Point.me or Seats.aero, the speed advantage is immediately noticeable.
Multi-Date Search Capability
This feature alone puts PointsYeah in its own award search tool category. Being able to simultaneously search 22 separate airline loyalty programs for award space across up to four consecutive days (eight days with premium) lets you easily see if being flexible with your dates could pay off. This is particularly valuable for travelers using transferable points programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards or American Express Membership Rewards.
Comprehensive Hotel Search
Unlike many competitors, PointsYeah allows you to search for hotel award space, simply entering your travel details and dates and selecting the loyalty program and parameters you want. The hotel search includes valuable filters like free night certificates, which is perfect for maximizing credit card benefits from cards like the Chase World of Hyatt Card or other premium hotel credit cards.
Major Benefits and Features
Award Search Capabilities
Flight Search Features:
- Real-time award availability for up to 4 days (8 days with Pro Plan) delivered in under 20 seconds
- Search across economy, business, premium economy, and first class
- Filter by airline, alliance, number of stops, departure times, and more
- Live seat map functionality showing seat layouts, reclining distance, and galley/lavatory locations
Hotel Search Features:
- Interactive map showing available results
- Filter by hotel brand, distance, points cost, or cash price
- Option to filter by either points or free night certificates, handy for someone with premium travel credit cards
- Factors in transfer bonuses, fifth-night-free options, and earning potential
Daydream Explorer: Your Travel Inspiration Tool
One of the coolest features of PointsYeah is the Daydream Explorer. If you don't have a destination in mind yet, the Daydream Explorer shows you where your points can take you. The feature lets you select up to three airports, continents, regions or countries at a time, or even choose "anywhere" as a destination, or select an activity like scuba diving, skiing or golf.
This tool is particularly useful for those who have accumulated significant points through business credit cards and want to explore their redemption options.
Points Price Alerts
Points Price Alerts save you from constantly checking for award availability. Since award availability can appear and disappear quickly, alerts offered by PointsYeah let travelers monitor award flights without conducting round-the-clock searches. The free version allows four flight and four hotel alerts, while premium expands this to 32 flight and 15 hotel alerts.
Setting up alerts is straightforward and can help you catch those sweet spot redemptions that make points and miles so rewarding.
Detailed Value Analysis
Pricing Comparison
At $99.99 annually, PointsYeah undercuts major competitors. Point.me charges $129.99 per year, while Roame costs $109.99 annually. For budget-conscious travelers who want premium features without premium prices, PointsYeah delivers exceptional value.
Search Coverage
When it comes to the sheer volume of airlines and programs searched by each tool, Point.me remains unmatched, querying 34 different airline programs and over 100 different airlines all at once. Meanwhile, PointsYeah searches only a subset of what Point.me does, covering 22 airline programs.
However, PointsYeah compensates with superior filtering and sorting options. 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.
Accuracy and Reliability
PointsYeah has a system dashboard that you can check to see if there are any issues with integration between PointsYeah and the airline/hotel programs they support. This transparency helps users understand when search results might be incomplete, which is more than you'll find with many competing tools.
For travelers who prefer comprehensive monitoring of award availability, our ExpertFlyer review provides an excellent complement to PointsYeah's capabilities.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Free version offers 80% of premium functionality
- Lightning-fast search speeds (under 20 seconds)
- Multi-date search capability (4-8 days)
- Comprehensive filtering and sorting options
- Hotel award search included
- Intuitive, user-friendly interface
- Excellent value for premium version ($99.99/year)
- Transfer partner guidance and step-by-step booking instructions
- Daydream Explorer for travel inspiration
- System status dashboard for transparency
Cons
- Limited multi-city searches (restricted to two flight segments)
- Sometimes displays "phantom award space" where spaces appear bookable but aren't
- Searches fewer airline programs than Point.me
- Lacks ability to search for very specific award availability, such as Singapore Airlines Suites or Qatar QSuites
- Free version limited to 4 alerts each for flights and hotels
Who Should Use PointsYeah
Perfect For:
- Beginners to award travel seeking an easy-to-use interface
- Travelers with transferable points from Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One Venture, or American Express Membership Rewards
- Multi-program loyalists who maintain points across various airlines and hotels
- Flexible travelers who can adjust dates for better redemption values
- Budget-conscious users wanting premium features without premium prices
Not Ideal For:
- Travelers loyal to a single airline or hotel program
- Users needing complex multi-city itineraries (more than 2 segments)
- Those requiring specialized premium cabin searches (like Singapore Suites)
How PointsYeah Compares to Alternatives
vs. Point.me
Point.me searches 34 airline programs versus PointsYeah's 22, giving it broader coverage. However, PointsYeah offers better filtering options, includes hotel search capabilities, and costs $30 less annually. For travelers who prioritize ease of use and value, PointsYeah often wins this comparison. Read our detailed Point.me review for a complete breakdown.
vs. Award Tool
If you're looking for a free general purpose tool, PointsYeah and AwardTool offer similar capabilities. Both offer date range searches, award alerts, and capable discovery functions. PointsYeah has an edge because its discovery function is very good and it isn't limited for free users.
vs. Roame Travel
Roame is a capable award search tool, but it doesn't offer much that isn't also available through PointsYeah. Given PointsYeah's superior interface and lower premium pricing, it's often the better choice.
vs. Seats.aero
Seats.aero specializes in premium cabin searches, particularly for hard-to-find business and first-class awards. While PointsYeah provides broader coverage, Seats.aero excels for travelers specifically hunting luxury cabin awards. Check out our Seats.aero review for more details on premium cabin searching.
Maximizing Your PointsYeah Experience
Getting Started
- Sign up for the free account to test functionality
- Set up your home airport in preferences
- Connect your loyalty program accounts for personalized results
- Start with flexible date searches to find the best values
Pro Tips for Better Results
- Use the "Mega" feature for extended date range searches (up to 35 days)
- Set up deal alerts for your dream destinations
- Filter by transfer bonuses when they're available
- Check the system status dashboard if searches seem incomplete
- Always verify availability on the airline's website before transferring points
When to Upgrade to Premium
Consider PointsYeah Premium if you:
- Take more than 2-3 award trips per year
- Need to search multiple airports regularly
- Want to monitor more than 4 routes simultaneously
- Prefer 8-day search windows for maximum flexibility
For travelers who frequently monitor deals, combining PointsYeah Premium with services like Going.com (formerly Scott's Cheap Flights) and Daily Drop provides comprehensive coverage of both award and cash flight deals.
Getting Started: Account Setup
Setting up your PointsYeah account is straightforward:
- Registration: Provide an email address and create a password
- Email verification: Check your email for a verification code
- Profile setup: Add your home airport and preferred loyalty programs
- Start searching: Begin with a simple route to familiarize yourself with the interface
No credit card is required for the free version, and you can upgrade to premium at any time.
Best Practices for Award Travel Success
Credit Card Strategy
To maximize your PointsYeah searches, focus on earning transferable points through cards like:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred for its flexible Ultimate Rewards points
- Capital One Venture X for excellent transfer partners and travel benefits
- Business cards like the Chase Ink Business Preferred for higher earning potential
Booking Strategy
When you find awards through PointsYeah, remember to:
- Verify availability on the airline's website before transferring points
- Check if retention offers might give you additional points
- Consider booking refundable fares first if you need time to transfer points
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is PointsYeah really free?A: Yes, the basic version is completely free and includes most core features. You only pay if you want premium features like multi-airport searches and additional alerts.
Q: How accurate are the search results?A: Similar to other award search tools, PointsYeah can struggle with showing award seats that appear online but aren't actually bookable, known as "phantom award space". Always verify availability on the airline's website before transferring points.
Q: Can I book directly through PointsYeah?A: No, PointsYeah is a search tool only. It provides direct links to airline and hotel websites where you complete your booking.
Q: Which credit card points work best with PointsYeah?A: PointsYeah excels with transferable points programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One miles, and Citi ThankYou points.
Q: How does PointsYeah make money?A: PointsYeah earns revenue through premium subscriptions and affiliate partnerships with some of the services it helps you find.
Integration with Other Tools
PointsYeah works well as part of a comprehensive travel planning toolkit. Consider pairing it with:
- Google Flights for cash price comparisons
- ExpertFlyer for detailed seat maps and upgrade availability
- Award booking guides for program-specific strategies
Final Verdict: Is PointsYeah Worth It?
Absolutely. PointsYeah is one of my favorite award search tools. It's fast and user friendly. It offers both flight and hotel searches, and alerts, across a wide selection of loyalty programs. And it does all of this for free.
The free version alone provides tremendous value for casual award travelers, while the premium version at $99.99 annually offers compelling features for frequent travelers. The combination of speed, ease of use, and comprehensive search capabilities makes PointsYeah an essential tool for anyone serious about maximizing their points and miles.
Whether you're just starting with travel credit cards or you're an experienced traveler looking to optimize your award booking strategy, PointsYeah provides the tools you need to find and book great redemptions.
Our Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Bottom Line: Whether you're a beginner looking to dip your toes into award travel or an experienced traveler seeking a reliable, fast search tool, PointsYeah delivers exceptional value. Start with the free version, and upgrade to premium if you find yourself using it regularly.
For those seeking comprehensive award travel guidance, check out our complete award flight search tools guide to see how PointsYeah compares with other leading platforms.
Ready to start maximizing your points? Try PointsYeah today and discover where your rewards can take you.