Booking award flights and hotel stays through the right programs can help you squeeze maximum value out of your points and miles. But finding the best options often means digging through multiple frequent-flyer programs, which is time-consuming and requires a decent amount of know-how.
Fortunately, several award search tools can simplify this process and save you hours of effort.
These tools work by asking for a few key details: your departure city, destination, preferred travel dates, and the program you’re using to redeem rewards.
Once that’s in, they’ll show you the cheapest way to book a flight or hotel stay with points or miles that fit your criteria. Using these tools can save both time and a lot of hard-earned points.
That said, no award search tool is flawless. Some may miss flights from certain airlines or lack advanced features to uncover the best possible redemptions. Because of this, it’s always wise to double-check by running your own search, even after using a tool.
Even with these limitations, award search tools are an excellent starting point. Let’s break down which tools are worth using and how they can help you land the best deals with your points and miles.
Comparing Top Award Search Tools
Every award search tool brings something different to the table. Some only display results from select airlines or hotel chains, while others offer a more intuitive user experience. Certain tools provide a wealth of features at no cost, whereas others hide advanced options behind a paywall.
For this we’ll explore the most popular award search tools, considering all these factors and more.
#1 PointsYeah
PointsYeah stands out as one of the most widely used award search tools, thanks to its impressive range of features, even in the free version. The clean and intuitive interface makes it simple to find great redemption options, though one downside is that the site tends to load slower than some competitors.
For those seeking extra functionality, PointsYeah offers a paid version for $99.99 per year. This upgrade includes perks like more active price alerts and the ability to search across a wider date range. But the free version already covers most of what you’d need to perform a solid award search.
To get started with PointsYeah, sign up for a free account. From there, choose the type of award you’re after, whether it’s a hotel stay or a flight. Then, plug in the details: departure and arrival cities, preferred travel dates, cabin class, number of travelers, and room type if applicable.
One standout feature is the ability to filter search results by credit card program. If you’re sitting on a stash of American Express Membership Rewards or Citi ThankYou Points, for example, you can limit your search to options that allow you to redeem those points.
You can also search by frequent-flyer programs or hotel loyalty programs, which is helpful if you’re looking to maximize value through specific programs.
For example, if you know that Air Canada Aeroplan and Air France-KLM Flying Blue tend to offer strong redemption rates, you can focus on these programs.
After entering your search criteria, hit the search button (or the “Yeah!” button, as PointsYeah cleverly calls it), and a list of matching results will appear. You’ll also have the option to refine these results further by adjusting factors like maximum points required, taxes, flight duration, aircraft type, or hotel brand.
Extra Features
PointsYeah offers three additional tools that can enhance your search experience:
- Flight Deals: This section lets you explore flights from broad regions (such as the U.S. to any destination) and highlights the best deals within those areas.
- Hotel Collection: This tab suggests recommended hotel stays based on searches for a specific city, region, or landmark.
- Daydream Accelerator: This feature showcases a list of recommended credit cards that can help you earn points faster for future award redemptions.
With the free version of PointsYeah, you can search for flights or hotels over a four-day period. If you want to search for a longer date range, the premium version allows searches across an eight-day window. But here’s a little workaround, if you’re using the free version, you can always run back-to-back searches to effectively cover an eight-day period without paying extra.
The free version also offers four active price alerts for flights and four for hotels, tracking points prices over time and notifying you of any changes. Upgrading to the premium version unlocks 32 flight alerts and 15 hotel alerts, which can be useful if you’re constantly monitoring multiple routes or properties.
While PointsYeah has a lot going for it, it does have a few quirks. For instance, when searching for award flights, it doesn’t allow you to search multiple origin or destination cities in a single query. To do that, you’ll need to head over to the Flight Deals tab. There, you can search for flights to “Anywhere” or narrow it down by country or continent.
For most users, the free version of PointsYeah offers everything needed to hunt down top-notch award redemptions. Unless you’re a frequent flyer who needs a high volume of price alerts or extended search periods, upgrading to the premium version probably isn’t necessary.
#2 AwardTool
AwardTool is another reliable option for finding award flights and hotel stays, offering plenty of features at no cost. The interface is user-friendly, and the site processes searches quickly. Without even creating an account, you can preview the first few results of any search. But if you want to see the full list, you’ll need to sign up for a free account.
Signing up is easy, but be aware that it comes with marketing emails, though you can easily filter these out or mark them as spam if they get annoying.
If you’re looking for extra functionality, there’s a premium version called “AwardTool PRO,” which costs $10.99 per month or $84.99 annually. While the free version covers all the basics, including 90 days of route data, searches over a four-day period, and three active award alerts, the paid version offers more.
Upgrading unlocks two prioritized route requests, 25 award alerts, unlimited access to yearly hotel data, and unlimited flight deal searches.
For most users, though, the free version is more than enough. Unless you need frequent award alerts or plan to use AwardTool regularly, there’s little reason to pay for the premium tier. With a free account, you can search for flights or hotels by entering essential details, departure and arrival cities, travel dates, cabin class, number of travelers, and the type of award you’re looking for.
Flexible Search Options
One standout feature of AwardTool is its ability to search multiple origins and destinations in one go.
For instance, if you’re open to flying out of either Seattle (SEA) or Portland (PDX), or considering different arrival points, this flexibility allows you to compare prices across multiple routes.
This feature is particularly useful if you’re open to repositioning for a better deal or weighing options between destinations.
After entering your search criteria, hitting the search button pulls up a list of matching results. Keep in mind that you’ll only see a partial list unless you’re signed into your account. Once signed in, you can further refine results by filtering through a variety of factors, credit card rewards programs (such as Capital One Rewards or Citi ThankYou Rewards), frequent-flyer programs, number of stops, maximum points required, and more.
Smart Filters
These filters make it easier to narrow down flights and hotel stays that fit both your preferences and your points balance.
For instance, if you have 40,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points to work with, you can filter results to show only redemptions within that limit. This ensures that you’re only looking at options you can actually afford, preventing wasted time sifting through irrelevant results.
AwardTool also offers a “Panorama” feature, which is perfect for travelers who are flexible with their destinations or want to let the best prices guide their plans. With Panorama, you can search for flights to broad geographic areas like North America, Asia, or even “Anywhere” and see the lowest-priced flights from your home airport to those regions.
Once you’ve narrowed down flight options using Panorama, you can go even deeper by filtering results based on your vacation preferences. Whether you’re planning a beach getaway, a foodie adventure, a honeymoon, or even a scuba diving trip, AwardTool can refine the search to highlight destinations that match your interests.
Advanced Route Data and Timing Insights
If you’re serious about snagging the best possible deal on award flights, AwardTool’s Routes tab is a game-changer. This feature allows you to check the prices of any route across a 90-day period, giving you valuable insight into the best times to book.
A unique perk when searching for hotels is that AwardTool displays both the cash price and the award rate side by side. This makes it easy to calculate the value you’re getting for your points and determine whether redeeming points or paying cash is the better deal.
Free vs. Premium
The free version of AwardTool is packed with enough features to satisfy most users. With access to 90 days of route data, the ability to search across a four-day period, and three active award alerts, casual travelers won’t feel limited. But if you’re a frequent traveler who needs more award alerts, access to yearly hotel data, and the ability to search unlimited flight deals, the premium version might be worth the $84.99 annual fee.
#3 Seats.Aero
Seats.Aero is a powerful platform for finding award flights, but it’s not the most beginner-friendly option out there. If you’re already familiar with the nuances of award travel, though, Seats.Aero provides a wealth of data that can help you uncover valuable redemption opportunities.
Using Seats.Aero is straightforward. Head to the homepage and enter your origin, destination, and departure date to begin a search. If you want to broaden your search, you can include multiple origin and destination cities to explore a wider range of flight options.
Unlike many other award search tools, Seats.Aero focuses on one-way flights. It only allows you to search for a single departure date, which means that if you’re trying to book a round-trip award flight, you’ll need to search for each leg separately.
To expand your search over a range of dates, you can click the drop-down menu next to “Add +/-” and select the number of days you’d like to include.
For example, if you set your departure date to the 15th and choose +/- seven days, Seats.Aero will show results for flights departing between the 8th and the 22nd. With the free version, the maximum range you can search is +/- seven days.
Seats.Aero Pro
If you’re a frequent traveler or someone who needs a more flexible search range, Seats.Aero Pro might be worth considering. For $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year, the premium version unlocks a search range of up to +/- 180 days, essentially giving you access to data for the entire year.
Seats.Aero Pro also comes with several additional features, including:
- Advanced filters for creating customized alerts
- SMS notifications for timely updates
- Access to a private Discord channel for exclusive insights
- The ability to request new routes for tracking
While the free version offers everything most travelers need, frequent flyers who are constantly on the lookout for the best award deals may find these premium features useful.
Tracking Specific Routes Through Major Loyalty Programs
Regardless of whether you use the free or premium version, you can leverage the Routes tab to access data on specific routes across major frequent-flyer programs.
To use this feature, click on your preferred loyalty program from the list provided. Scroll down until you find the route you want to monitor, then click the “Find availability” button. This will pull up award prices for that route, giving you a clear view of available redemptions across multiple months.
Rooms.Aero
Seats.Aero isn’t just limited to flights. If you’re looking for award hotel stays, you can click the Hotels tab on the homepage, which redirects you to Rooms.Aero, Seats.Aero’s sister site dedicated to hotel award searches.
Much like Seats.Aero, Rooms.Aero isn’t the most user-friendly tool, but it provides all the necessary features to locate good award stays. You can filter results based on the hotel loyalty program you’d like to use, but the available options are limited. Currently, Rooms.Aero only supports searches for Hilton Honors, IHG One Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, and World of Hyatt.
If you’re hoping to book award stays through other programs like Choice Privileges or Wyndham Rewards, both of which are transfer partners of major credit card reward programs. Rooms.Aero won’t be of much help. These missing programs limit the flexibility of the platform, making it less appealing for travelers who rely on a wider range of hotel loyalty options.
Flexible Filters and Map View for Hotel Stays
Rooms.Aero does offer a few helpful filters to refine your hotel search. You can set a maximum point threshold to narrow down options that fit your budget. Additionally, there’s a map view that lets you visualize the location of available hotels, making it easier to identify properties in desirable areas.
Seats.Aero excels at delivering detailed data for award flights, making it a valuable tool for experienced travelers who are willing to invest a little extra time to maximize their redemptions. While the free version provides plenty of functionality, upgrading to Seats.Aero Pro is a smart move if you’re constantly tracking multiple routes or need a broader search range.
For hotel stays, Rooms.Aero adds some value, but its limited selection of supported hotel programs makes it less versatile compared to other award search tools. If you’re primarily focused on flights and already know how to make the most of frequent-flyer programs, Seats.Aero can be a powerful addition to your award search toolkit.
#4 Point.Me
Point.Me is a solid choice for travelers who need help deciding where to go. It’s important to note that this tool focuses exclusively on award flights, so if you’re looking to book hotel award stays, you’ll need to look elsewhere. What makes Point.Me stand out is its ability to suggest destinations based on the type of vacation you’re after.
When you’re unsure of where to go but have a type of experience in mind, Point.Me makes it easy to narrow down options. For instance, if you’re craving a beach getaway, you can select the “Beach” category, enter your origin, type of flight, number of passengers, cabin class, and travel dates, and hit the “Explore” button. The system will then display award flights to beach destinations that fit your criteria.
Point.Me also allows you to search for flights from a specific airport to “Anywhere” or a more defined region like a continent or country. The downside? You can’t search for flights to a particular airport. So, if Munich is your desired destination, you’ll need to search for flights to Germany and scan the results for Munich options.
Map View and Destination Tabs Add Flexibility
Point.Me includes a map view feature that visually displays potential destinations and corresponding award prices. Once you select a region, you can toggle between tabs like Beach, Culture, and Adventure to explore different types of destinations within that area. This feature is particularly useful when you’re open to exploring various types of vacations but want to keep your options open.
Free vs. Paid Versions
Point.Me offers both a Standard version ($129 annually or $12 monthly) and a Premium version ($260 annually). Paid subscriptions unlock features like:
- Exclusive monthly destination tips
- Real-time award flight searches
- Step-by-step award booking instructions
- Points strategy consultations (Premium only)
The free version provides all the essential features you need to find a good award flight, but if you’re interested in personalized tips and more hands-on guidance, a paid subscription could be worth it.
Concierge Services
For travelers who want personalized support, Point.Me also offers concierge services that start at $200 per case. These services include:
- Full-service flight booking
- Elite status and mileage run assistance
- Points strategy consultation
- Custom travel packages
While these services can be useful for complex bookings, subscribing to the Premium version is often a better deal since it includes access to these consultations.
#5 Roame.Travel
Roame.Travel is another popular award search tool known for its sleek interface and detailed flight data. But while the platform looks great and is easy to navigate, its functionality is somewhat limited compared to other tools.
By default, Roame.Travel only pulls results from six frequent-flyer programs:
- Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
- American Airlines AAdvantage
- Delta SkyMiles
- JetBlue TrueBlue
- Qantas Frequent Flyer
- United MileagePlus
This means you won’t see results from high-value programs like Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, or British Airways Executive Club unless you activate SkyView mode. With SkyView enabled, you can expand the search to include results from 14 loyalty programs and view flight availability over a seven-day period.
Filters and Alerts Enhance Search Precision
To use Roame.Travel, simply enter your flight details, including origin, destination, travel dates, cabin class, and number of travelers, and hit the search button. Once results populate, you can refine them using a variety of filters, including credit card programs, frequent-flyer programs, number of stops, maximum cash fees, and maximum points required.
If you want to monitor prices for a specific route, you can use the “Save as Alert” toggle to be notified of price changes. Free users can save one alert at a time, while Friends of Roame subscribers ($12.99 monthly or $109.99 annually) can save up to five alerts.
Friends of Roame
A Friends of Roame subscription also unlocks:
- Searches within a 60-day window
- Multi-region search capability
- Email support for assistance
While the free version is enough for occasional searches, frequent travelers may find the subscription worthwhile.
Wallet Feature
Roame.Travel has a unique Wallet feature that lets you upload and manage your points and miles balances in one central location. Unfortunately, there’s no automatic syncing with bank accounts or rewards programs, so you’ll need to update your balances manually.
#6 AwardLogic
AwardLogic is another tool that operates similarly to many others but lacks the functionality you get with free versions of competing platforms. The free version is almost unusable because it hides essential details behind a paywall. Without paying for a subscription ($4.99 daily, $19.99 monthly, or $199.99 annually), you can’t even see which frequent-flyer program to use for booking award flights.
Limited Functionality in the Free Version
When using the free version of AwardLogic, you’ll see the cheapest, quickest, or earliest available award flights, along with the number of points required. But unless you upgrade, you won’t know which loyalty program is needed to book the flight, making it difficult to move forward with a booking.
Paid Version Unlocks Basic Features
The premium version of AwardLogic includes:
- The ability to see which loyalty programs offer award space
- Filter results by specific programs or price ranges
- Date flexibility up to three days
- Step-by-step transfer and booking instructions
Still, most of these features are already available for free through other tools, making AwardLogic a less appealing option unless you’re committed to using this platform exclusively.
Which Award Search Tool is the Best?
The best award search tool depends on your preferences and the type of search you’re conducting.
- AwardTool and Point.Me are ideal for travelers who aren’t sure where they want to go, as both offer suggestions based on destination categories like beach, city, and adventure.
- Seats.Aero provides detailed award flight data, making it a great choice if you’re focused solely on gathering information. However, it won’t help much if you need help picking a destination.
Why AwardTool Comes Out on Top
In terms of overall functionality and user experience, AwardTool is arguably the best free option available. It offers a user-friendly interface, lets you filter destinations by category, provides data from all major loyalty programs, and tracks award price trends over time. While other tools offer some of these features, AwardTool is the only one that brings them all together in a free package.
Maximize Your Points with the Right Award Search Tool
Navigating the world of points and miles can feel overwhelming, with different rewards programs, transfer partners, fluctuating pricing, and availability. But award search tools simplify the process by letting you compare award prices across multiple programs and dates to identify the best booking options.
Even if you’re unsure of your destination, tools like Point.Me and AwardTool can help steer you toward exciting possibilities. While no search tool is perfect, using a combination of these platforms and verifying results with your own searches will give you the best chance of finding an incredible deal.
With the right tools, you can stretch your points and miles further, unlocking unforgettable travel experiences while saving money.
