PointsYeah Review: My Go-To Award Search Tool for Flights & Hotels

Look, I love points and miles. But you know what I don’t love? Opening seventeen browser tabs to figure out if I can actually book a flight to Paris with my credit card points.

First, I check United. Then Air Canada. Then I remember I could transfer to Flying Blue, so that’s another tab. Oh, wait, what about going through the Chase portal? And didn’t I read something about Virgin Atlantic offering a transfer bonus? Plus, I should check hotel options while I’m at it, which means starting this entire process over again for Hyatt, Marriott, and Hilton.

By the time I’ve cycled through all my options, I’ve either found something (after an hour of clicking), or I’m so mentally exhausted that I book with cash and tell myself I’ll “save the points for something better.”

There has to be a better way, right?

Spoiler: there is. It’s called PointsYeah, and it’s become my go-to tool for award searches.

What Is PointsYeah?

PointsYeah is an award search tool that lets you find flights and hotels with points and miles—all in one place. Instead of manually checking all your airline and hotel programs, you tell PointsYeah where you want to go, and it shows you all your options across multiple programs.

The magic is in the consolidation. One search gives you award availability across major airlines, hotel chains, and transfer partners—no more tab overload. It’s like Kayak, but for award search. No more wondering if you missed a better redemption because you forgot to check one specific program.

And here’s the thing that initially surprised me: the free version is genuinely capable. This isn’t one of those “free trial” situations where you get a taste and then hit a paywall for anything useful. The free tier handles everyday award searches without making you feel like you’re missing out.

How I Actually Use PointsYeah

I use PointsYeah constantly when I’m planning trips, and my workflow usually looks something like this:

Search for Award

I plug in my destination and dates, and it automatically applies my saved filters, like the programs where I actually have an account. There’s no use in seeing United availability if I don’t have MileagePlus miles, or transferable points from credit card programs I don’t have. I can narrow down by specific bank programs—Chase UR, Amex MR, Citi ThankYou, Capital One, Bilt, Wells Fargo—or go directly to airline and hotel loyalty programs.

From there, I get granular with the filters. Number of stops matters to me (especially on longer flights where a connection can turn a 10-hour trip into a 16-hour odyssey). I filter by total transit time, layover length, and maximum points I’m willing to spend. If I’m specifically hunting for lie-flat seats in premium cabin, I filter by cabin class.

But here’s what really seals the deal for me: once I get results, I can see all the ways I could book that specific flight or hotel, based on my setup. PointsYeah shows me the best path to a redemption: an active transfer bonus like Amex MR to Virgin, using Chase UR to book United through Air Canada, or directly with the airline. And crucially, it shows me the cash price alongside the points price so I can calculate if the redemption is actually worth it. Because we all know not every redemption is a good deal.

Daydream Explorer

The Daydream Explorer feature has become my secret weapon for flexible travel. When I don’t have rigid dates but know I want to find award space in business class somewhere in the next few months, I can cast a wider net and see what’s actually available. It’s how I’ve found business-class awards that I wouldn’t have discovered by manually checking specific date ranges.

Under the Hood: How PointsYeah Works

Airline Award Flight Search

PointsYeah searches award availability across major airline programs, including United, American, Delta, Air Canada, Virgin Atlantic, Flying Blue (Air France/KLM), and more. It also shows you transfer partner options, so if you have Chase Ultimate Rewards or Amex Membership Rewards, you can see all the airlines where those points could get you on that flight. The search results make it easy to compare options across programs at a glance.

The filter options are robust without being overwhelming. Beyond the basics (dates, origin, destination), you can filter by:

• Cabin class – Economy, premium economy, business, or first
• Airline and bank programs – Only showing awards you can actually book
• Number of stops – Nonstop only, one stop max, or whatever you’re willing to endure
• Maximum points – Set a ceiling so you don’t see options that would drain your entire stash
• Total transit time – Because sometimes that “one stop” adds 8 hours to your journey
• Layover duration – Avoid the 30-minute connection stress or the 9-hour airport purgatory

Award Stay Hotel Search

The hotel side covers major programs including Hyatt, Marriott, Hilton, and IHG. Similar to flights, you can filter by the programs where you have points and see all your hotel award redemption options in one view.

All essential hotel filters are available, including dates, destination, and distance. You can also filter by:

• Hotel and bank programs – Only showing awards you can actually book
• Brands – See only specific hotel brands (i.e. Westin, Hyatt Place, Sheraton)
• Amenities – Club lounge, Airport shuttle, Free parking, Pet friendly, Resort
• Maximum points – Set a ceiling so you don’t see options that would drain your entire stash
• Free night awards – By hotel program, category, or certificate amount

This is where PointsYeah really differentiates itself from tools like AwardHacker (which only covers flights) or MaxMyPoint (which only covers hotels). Having both in one search saves the mental load of coordinating between multiple tools.

The Results Page: Booking Your Award

When search results populate, you get the standard flight or hotel details you’d expect—times, durations, layovers, amenities. But the real value is in how PointsYeah presents your options.

For each result, you’ll see all the loyalty programs where you could book it using points, specific to your setup. If you’re looking at a United flight, PointsYeah might show you that you could book it with United miles, Air Canada Aeroplan, or by transferring credit card points from Chase. Each option displays the points cost, so you can compare and decide which to use.

The cash price comparison is right there too, letting you quickly calculate cents per point (CPP) to see if you’re getting solid value. A business class flight that costs 70,000 points or $3,500 in cash? That’s 5 CPP—book it immediately. A domestic economy flight that’s 25,000 points or $250? That’s 1 CPP—maybe pay cash and save the points.

One critical note: Always cross-check availability directly with the airline or hotel before transferring any points. PointsYeah pulls availability data, but award space can disappear quickly. The last thing you want is to transfer 60,000 Chase UR to United only to find that the flight you wanted is no longer available. Transferring points is usually irreversible, so take that extra step to confirm before you commit.

Free vs. Paid: What You Actually Get

Free Version

The free tier is legitimately useful—not just a teaser. You can search award flights and hotels, use the core filters, see all your search results, and access live seat maps for every flight so you know exactly what you’re getting before you book. The main limitation is that you can only search a limited number of days at a time, so if you’re flexible with dates, you’ll need to run multiple searches.

For someone who redeems a couple of award trips per year and knows roughly when they want to travel, the free version handles it without issue.

PointsYeah Premium

The paid subscription gets you access to broader date range searches (perfect for Daydream Explorer-style flexible hunting), custom settings and preferences that save your favorite filters, and more award alerts. You can set up flight alerts and price alerts to get notified when award space opens up on routes you’re tracking—all based on searches you’ve already configured.

Premium also unlocks custom point valuations, so you can set how much your Chase UR, Amex MR, or others are worth to you personally. This helps PointsYeah surface the redemptions that make the most sense for your specific situation.

There’s also a lifetime option if you’re someone who book award travel constantly and doesn’t want to think about monthly or annual subscriptions.

My Take On Searching for Awards

Start with the free version. If you find yourself bumping against the date range limits or wishing you could set up more alerts, then upgrading makes sense. But there’s no pressure—the free tier genuinely gets the job done for most people.

How Points Yeah Stacks Up Against Other Award Tools

If you’ve been in the points game for a while, you’ve probably heard of AwardHacker or Expert Flyer. Here’s how PointsYeah compares:

• AwardHacker does flights but not hotels. It’s a solid tool for seeing award pricing across programs, but you’re still bouncing between tools if you need to book accommodations too.
• MaxMyPoint focuses exclusively on hotels. Great for that specific use case, but again—you’re juggling multiple tools.
• Expert Flyer has no free version, so there’s a barrier to entry before you even know if it works for your needs.

PointsYeah’s strength is offering both flights and hotels in a single, clean interface, with a free tier that actually delivers value. The transfer partner clarity and cost comparison features make it easy to make smart decisions quickly. You might still want to cross-check directly with airlines occasionally (especially for complex multi-city routing), but for 90% of award searches, PointsYeah handles it.

Frequently asked questions

How do I start using PointsYeah?

Create an account on the website and choose between the free plan and the premium tier. The free version includes search and deal alerts. In comparison, the premium version gives you access to features like custom point valuations, broader date searches, and more flight alerts—perfect for planning trips with airline miles or transferable programs.

Can PointsYeah help me find available award seats quickly?

Yes—PointsYeah is a fast award search engine that lets you narrow your search across airlines and cabins to find available seats. It displays the number of points required per passenger so you can evaluate different itineraries and decide which redemption makes sense.

What’s the difference between free and premium versions?

The free version offers search, basic filters, and live seat maps. Premium adds broader date searches, custom point valuations, more alerts (both flight alerts and hotel alerts), and saved preferences. Both help you find award availability, but premium increases customization and alert capacity.

How do award alerts work?

You can set alerts for award pricing on specific routes or hotels based on searches you’ve configured. When availability or points requirements change, you’ll get notified via email alerts. This helps you track desirable routes without manually checking every day.

Does PointsYeah support transferable points like Citi ThankYou?

Yes—PointsYeah shows award costs across loyalty programs and helps you determine how many points you’ll need from transferable points programs, including Citi ThankYou points, Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, and others. The tool displays options for using various currencies to help you decide which to transfer.

Final Thoughts

Award travel shouldn’t feel like homework. The whole idea of earning miles and points is to travel better for less—not to spend hours clicking through airline websites trying to figure out if award space even exists.

PointsYeah solves the information overload problem. It shows you all your options in one place and helps you decide which points to use. The free version is capable enough for casual travelers, and the paid tiers make sense for anyone booking awards regularly.

If you’re sitting on a pile of points and want to actually use them without the manual slog, give PointsYeah a try. Start with the free version, play around with the filters, and see if it clicks for your travel style.

Editor’s note: Opinions shared in this article are solely the author’s and do not represent the views of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other organization. The content has not been evaluated, approved, or endorsed by any of the mentioned entities. These are our recommendations but it isn’t financial advice. We may receive a commission if you click through any of the links in this article.

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