POINT.ME is a new award search tool that lays the foundation for an award travel metasearch that can truly make our lives easier and our miles and points more valuable.
POINT.ME, A Promising New Award Search Tool
The new tool searches points and miles space on over 30 loyalty programs, which covers over 100 airlines. Imagine it: instead of searching every airline or alliance separately, you can search for everything in one place. And rather than just display results, it offers help (including video tutorials) on how to book the space and even helps you analyze which options are best.
Aimed for the mass market, this tool will greatly aid in helping consumers understand how valuable their frequent flyer miles and credit card points really are (which is immensely valuable, as far as I am concerned). I speak at many travel conference and my audiences are often novices in the world of points and miles. I’m amazed at how many people fail to remotely comprehend the versatility of their points.
For example, last weekend at Travel & Adventure show in Chicago I spoke to an older gentleman who had no idea that he could redeem his United Airlines miles for anything more than flights on United. It was like a moment of epiphany when I introduced him to all the partner booking options he had available too him.
Experts in the world of miles and points, including many Live and Let’s Fly readers, may encounter certain frustrations which I do not downplay: there is not currently the option to do a multi-city search or simultaneously search co-terminal airports. Results are not perfect (for example, there are issues with Flying Blue and at times other programs) and it does take time for results to load (though this is hardly surprising, considering how many simultaneous searches take place to provide these meta results).
I’ve been apprised of this product and its development for several months and I will have much more to say about the product itself (including a detailed tutorial) as well as a special promo code for Live and Let’s Fly readers…but I’ve opted to hold that for a bit until some kinks are worked out of the website.
No product has been prefect from day one and my searches thus far have revealed tremendous value in the site in its present state. And it will only get better, which really makes me excited. I also count the two co-founders, Tiffany Funk and Adam Morvitz, as friends. These two, as well as their staff, live and breathe miles and points and are subject-matter experts. That’s why I am confident that this website and product will only improve.
Even so, I wish to make clear that this post is not sponsored and also not a duty of friendship–I would not waste your time if I did not love this product and see great potential in it. Funk and Morvitz have partnered with key investors and have raised sufficient capital such that the funding for research and development to make this a far better product is already available.
You might think that heralding this product undercuts my own consulting business, Award Expert. Indeed, we both offer expertly-tailored, highly-personalized consultation services to businesses and individuals alike on the effective use of miles and points. But this tool is not for my client base, most of which cannot be bothered to search for award space themselves or even if they could, deem enlisting the help of my firm a better use of time and money than doing it themselves. My botique service is not threatened by this technology. Truthfully, my only threat is this tool empowering more users to take advantage of the limited inventory of airline award seats. Even so, it’s time for consumers to reclaim their points. I think (and sincerely hope) most would prefer to use their miles and points for family vacations over toasters and tablets…
CONCLUSION
It’s fun to know people before they were famous. When Ben from One Mile At A Time and I were teenagers, we used to mileage run on United Airlines, with no adoring fans coming up to him requesting a selfie (well, there was one). I’ve known Tiffany and Adam for years and I am so proud of them for this great tech venture upon which they have embarked. I predict they will soon be (more) famous themselves for launching such an innovative product. Both are not just smart, but people of character and frankly people I would trust with my life. I don’t say that about many people…
So I’m excited to see this launch and the fact that the site is a bit bogged down represents the overwhelming response (and therefore the overwhelming demand) for software that demystifies the use of miles and points. Keep an eye on this space for more on POINT.ME as well as special promotion for Live and Let’s Fly readers.
I think we can start the clock to see how long it is until they receive a cease and desist letter from one of the airlines. They usually hate similar services.
Tried point.me and paid $5 for a day. Did my own searches and found better flight and rates. Emailed point.me and told them about my experience an gave them examples. They basically stated that was impossible. I found better rates by booking direct with points from my existing AwardWallet stash of points. Emailed point.me for a refund and they did not return my emails. I also find it difficult to find any central site to give honest feedback besides forums or blogs so kind of like Amazon.com where you can not trust what some people say because they are getting paid by point.me to promote their business. Think twice before you use point.me is my personal suggestion
“No product has been prefect from day one”
Typo or humor?
Hi Matthew,
I don’t know if you know much about route networks, but figured it is worth asking. I am trying to qualify for United 1K this year, and have a work trip next month from Los Angeles to Miami, so really want to fly United, but United does not serve MIA or FLL from SoCal. I really do not understand how this isn’t part of their route map. If American can fly 10 777s a day, Delta, JetBlue, and Spirit all serve these routes, how can United not fill at least 1 or 2 737s a day? It just makes no sense to me. Do you know if there is any history behind this, or why this might be? I know you know a lot about United and LAX so figured it was worth an ask.
Thanks for the great content!
-Chris
Hi Chris, good question, especially considering MIA used to be a UA hub. My best guess is exactly what you point out – competition is fierce at LAX and with so much competition, UA views its margins too slim to justify nonstop service to FLL or MIA. That said, I’d like to see such service too!
Love what you do, BUT when you hype a special promo code you lose some credibility. You, I and everyone else here knows there are no “special codes”, only kickbacks from a site looking to find additional revenues.
We all understand what you do, but at least be honest about it. I always thought you were more straight forward with your readers.
First, there is no promo code in this story. Second, there are no kickbacks. So I don’t get your issue…? To repeat, there are no kickbacks from the free promo codes you’ve seen floating around…if there were, indeed I would be legally obligated to disclose it.
You said there will be a promo code, did you not? So no disclosure needed at this point.
“ I will have much more to say about the product itself (including a detailed tutorial) as well as a special promo code for Live and Let’s Fly readers”
But when that free promo code comes, I will receive no kickback…just want to make that clear.
Thanks for making that clear. So no Quid pro Quo? If so, you are truly the only guy out there not looking for something by shilling for others in the industry. Won’t pay the bills but definitely a good look in a pool of sharks and desperadoes out for anything and everything they can get. Total respect for not being one of them.
And not being a dick, but is Ben really “famous”? You and I both know he wouldn’t have a Q rating of half of a percent. Ask 1000 people on street who Ben Schlappig is and you won’t get 5 with the correct answer.
That said I respect his ability to have made a living doing what he enjoys. Not everyone can say that.
I am frankly amazed at how well he is doing- we are not just talking about making a living here, but serious money.
The really surprising part is that he has managed to make it mostly through sheer perseverance (and I suppose that a dash of good fortune is also required for that level of success)- he doesn’t write in such an engaging way, he is a self-confessed introvert and his knowledge of the airline business (I don’t mean the product here, he clearly has amassed huge experience in that area) and wider world affairs isn’t especially deep.
(Apologies to Matthew if this comes across like a personal criticism of his friend- while I do sometimes value Ben’s reviews of business class on Very Obscure Airways Ltd, I don’t really find OMAAT very engaging at all)
Amex gave me a free trial via my gold card (only, not any other Amex cards in my case). The searches were tailored to their transfer partners. They will walk you through the transfer process & booking after selecting flights. I do think think this release will be more helpful at newbie level, which is a good thing IMHO. Once we can search multiple cities, select alliances, multiple destinations, etc., It will be a significant time saver for experts..
Who the f… would be pay for this?
I will.
I agree. It might be good but not worth paying for, well maybe for AA premium TATL routes. For newbies, they would be better off just using an award booking service.
One thing I have long wanted – and I’m not sure whether such a tool exists – is the ability to get an alert when a reward mileage requirement decreases. For example, I am flying back from London to Miami on April 10 and would prefer the AA non-stop – but it’s currently 57K miles. Usually I pay 30K for a transatlantic flight on AA . So I’ve held off booking another flight to see whether this one goes down. Similar to Google flight alerts, I wonder whether this new search app can monitor awards and let you know when an award either becomes available or the amount required decreases. Thanks for pointing out this new app.
Very useful but… expensive.
I love the miles game on an amateur’s basis and promote it all the time. I tried this site for a trip in April on DL JFK-FCO and found it to be very useful and I was able to save miles and move to J from PE for less miles, moving the return to UA. I will definitely use this going forward. I appreciate your decision to promote this for no compensation and respect you for it.
Anyone have a promo code they can share?
Try HONIG.