PointsInsider

Author: PointsYeah Product Team

  • ​​Travel Freely: The Free App That Helps You Travel More and Spend Less

    ​​Travel Freely: The Free App That Helps You Travel More and Spend Less

    At PointsYeah, we’re always looking to spotlight resources that help travelers do more with less. That’s why we’re thrilled to feature Travel Freely: a free app built for everyday people who want to maximize their points, stay organized, and earn over $2,000 in free travel each year.

    Whether you’re a complete beginner or someone who already has a stash of points, Travel Freely removes the guesswork, helping you make smarter decisions about which cards to get, when to use them, and how to manage it all effortlessly.

    What is Travel Freely?

    Travel Freely was created by Zac Hood, a former teacher and non-profit director who discovered the world of travel rewards after booking his proposal trip to Southern France entirely with points. From there, he developed a system to stay on top of card offers, deadlines, and upgrades—without spreadsheets or stress. That system became the Travel Freely app.

    Now available on both web and mobile (iOS + Android), Travel Freely helps users:

    • Organize all your credit cards in one place 
    • Track welcome bonuses, annual fees, bonus deadlines, and downgrades
    • Track your 5/24 number
    • Organize card strategies for individuals, couples, and even small businesses

    And the best part? It’s 100% free. No upsells, no locked features—just great tools that help you travel better.

    🏆 Travel Freely users average over $2,000 in free travel per year—and some go much further.

    Why Travel Freely Works

    What makes Travel Freely stand out is how it turns a complicated subject into something intuitive and approachable. You don’t need spreadsheets or advanced knowledge. The app does the heavy lifting so you can focus on enjoying the journey.

    ✅ Beginner-Friendly Onboarding

    Step-by-step guidance helps you understand the landscape and start strong—even if you’ve never used a rewards card before.

    🃏 CardGenie™ Personalized Recommendations

    The app recommends the optimal cards for your situation, factoring in bank rules and your existing lineup.

    📅 Smart Reminders for Bonuses & Fees

    Get notified before annual fees hit or deadlines expire. Never miss a bonus or downgrade window again.

    👥 Built for Couples & Businesses

    Track credit cards for yourself, a partner, or your business—all in one place. Perfect for maximizing rewards as a team.

    🔐 Security-First Design

    Travel Freely doesn’t ask for sensitive logins or personal data. You simply input your card names and open dates, and the app handles the rest.

    ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
    Over 2,000 4.9-star reviews on the App Store and features in outlets like Business Insider speak to how widely loved—and trusted—Travel Freely really is.

    Who Is Travel Freely For?

    New to rewards? Travel Freely will guide you from start to finish, helping you avoid common pitfalls while you earn your first free trips.

    Already experienced? Say goodbye to spreadsheets. Use the built-in 5/24 tracker, deadline alerts, and personalized offers to stay on top of your strategy.

    Couples & Families? Coordinate cards and double your earning power with shared tracking and timelines.

    Why Travel Freely and PointsYeah Belong Together

    Travel Freely and PointsYeah make a powerful pair for anyone serious about optimizing their travel.

    • Travel Freely helps you keep track of your rewards cards and stay organized to maximize your point-earning.
    • PointsYeah helps you redeem those rewards for maximum value—whether it’s a dream hotel or a last-minute flight deal.

    From first steps to first class, this duo takes the complexity out of free travel and turns it into something simple and exciting.

    Try Travel Freely Today

    If you’re looking to simplify your travel rewards journey—or just want to earn more free travel on your regular spending—Travel Freely is a must-try.

    👉 Try Travel Freely for Free

    No credit card required. No ads. Just a beautifully designed platform with one mission: to help you travel more, spend less, and enjoy the process.

    Written in collaboration with our friends at Travel Freely.

  • What’s New on PointsYeah: May 2025 Feature Roundup

    What’s New on PointsYeah: May 2025 Feature Roundup

    At PointsYeah, we’re always building tools to make award travel easier and more personal. Our May 2025 updates help you search smarter, plan faster, and get more from your points.

    Seat Alerts Are Here

    Tired of checking back to see if the seat you want is available? Now you don’t have to.

    With our new Seat Alerts feature, you can set a notification on any search result. We’ll alert you when the seat opens up—whether you’re avoiding the middle seat, trying to sit together as a family, or looking for a better row. It works quietly in the background so you can set it and forget it.

    This feature is currently in beta.

    Set a Seat Alert →

    PointsInsider Is Now Live

    We launched PointsInsider, our new content hub built for travelers who want to go deeper. It’s your go-to space for strategies, tips, and insights—whether you’re just getting started or you’re already optimizing every point.

    Expect posts on how to spot hidden value, navigate tricky programs, and stay updated on award trends. We believe smart travelers are informed travelers.

    Explore PointsInsider →

    Heart Your Favorite Airports

    You can now heart airports to save them as favorites. When entering your departure or destination during a live search, your favorited airports will appear at the top of the dropdown. That means fewer clicks and faster decisions—especially helpful if you fly out of the same hubs regularly.

    This small change can save real time, especially for frequent flyers juggling multiple searches.

    See It in Action →

    flydubai Now Bookable with Emirates Skywards Miles

    You can now search and book flydubai flights through the Emirates Skywards program. Emirates is the only major loyalty program that allows redemptions on flydubai—and now PointsYeah brings that access to your searches.

    Why this matters:

    • flydubai serves over 120 destinations, many not easily reached otherwise
    • Several routes are monopoly markets, giving you unique redemption opportunities
    • Coverage includes the Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia, and beyond

    This adds serious value for anyone trying to reach cities that aren’t well-served by traditional carriers.

    Search Emirates & flydubai →

    Start Your Next Award Search

    With Seat Alerts, flydubai access, smarter airport selection, and our new PointsInsider blog to guide you, there’s never been a better time to run a search.

    Search Now on PointsYeah →

  • Personalize Your Experience for Smarter, Faster Searches

    Personalize Your Experience for Smarter, Faster Searches

    Award flights don’t last long. The best deals disappear quickly, and wasting time scrolling through options you wouldn’t book can mean missing out on the ones you would.

    That’s why PointsYeah lets you personalize your entire search experience. With just a few quick settings, you’ll start seeing results that match your travel habits, your points, and your preferences.

    Whether you’re a casual traveler or a points pro, a few smart tweaks can save you hours—and help you book the trips you actually want.

    Here’s how to make PointsYeah work for you.

    Set Your Home Airport

    Most travelers fly from the same few airports again and again. If you live near a major hub like LAX or JFK, you might have dozens of good options. If you’re closer to a smaller airport, you want to avoid seeing results from places you’d never drive to.

    By setting your home airport (or multiple home airports), you tell PointsYeah where to focus. Your results will prioritize departure cities that actually make sense for your travel plans. You’ll avoid irrelevant routes and stop wasting time on flights that are logistically impossible.

    It’s one of the easiest ways to make your searches faster and more focused.

    Set Your Home Airport →

    Choose Your Preferred Bank Programs

    This setting is all about showing results you can use, not just deals that look good on paper.

    If you mostly earn points through Chase, for example, it doesn’t help to see a long list of options that require Amex or Capital One transfers. You can go into your settings and choose only the bank programs you use. Once selected, PointsYeah will filter your results to show only the flights that can be booked with those points.

    This is especially useful when you’re trying to book quickly or work within a limited balance. Every result you see is bookable with the points you already have.

    Choose Bank Programs →

    Exclude Airlines You Don’t Use

    Not every airline fits every traveler. Maybe you avoid airlines with high surcharges. Maybe you’ve had a bad experience. Or maybe your elite status is with a specific alliance and you prefer to stay within it.

    Whatever the reason, you can remove unwanted airlines from your results entirely. Once excluded, you won’t see their flights in your live search results, keeping your options relevant and aligned with your preferences.

    This is a great way to clean up your search results and avoid clutter that slows you down.

    Exclude Airlines →

    Set Your Own Points Value (Premium Members Only)

    This is one of the most powerful features for Premium members.

    Instead of using a fixed point value for everyone, you can assign your own custom values for each bank or airline program. This tells PointsYeah how you value your points, and we’ll sort and highlight results based on your personal valuations.

    If you think Chase points are worth 1.7 cents and Avianca miles are only worth 1.2, we’ll factor that into your results. Flights that offer strong value based on your settings will rise to the top, and flights that aren’t worth it will move down the list.

    It’s a smarter way to evaluate redemptions, especially when you’re comparing programs or trying to decide which points to spend.

    Set Your Own Points Value →

    Fine-Tune with Advanced Filters

    Once your main settings are in place, you can go even deeper. PointsYeah gives you the option to customize:

    • Cabin class: Only want to see business or first class? Easy.
    • Max taxes and fees: Set a cap so you don’t get surprised at checkout.
    • Airline & Hotel programs: Focus on the ones where you earn or redeem.
    • Corporate codes: Add your company discount codes for hotels.
    • Sort order: Prioritize by lowest points, shortest flight time, or other factors.

    These advanced options help shape every search around your goals, whether that’s getting the best deal, flying in comfort, or avoiding long layovers.

    Fine-Tune Filters →

    Why Personalization Matters

    The more you personalize, the more relevant your results become. Instead of wading through dozens of options, you’ll zero in on the ones that make sense for you.

    You’ll book faster. You’ll make better use of your points. And you’ll avoid the frustration of missing a great deal because your screen was full of flights you wouldn’t take.

    Try It for Yourself

    It only takes a minute to update your settings, and the benefits are immediate.

    Personalize My Search →

    If you’re already a Premium member, don’t forget to use advanced tools like custom point values and extra alerts. If you’re not Premium yet, this is one of the best reasons to try it.

    Less clutter. Better results. Easier bookings. That’s what personalized travel planning looks like.

  • Ending soon: Amex to Hawaiian (and Alaska) Transfers

    Ending soon: Amex to Hawaiian (and Alaska) Transfers

    If you’ve been using American Express Membership Rewards points to build up your Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles, heads up: Starting June 30, 2025, you won’t be able to transfer Amex points to HawaiianMiles — which means no way to turn them into Alaska miles.

    What’s Happening?

    • American Express will end transfers to HawaiianMiles on June 30, 2025.
    • This means no more converting Amex points to Alaska miles through this method.
    • HawaiianMiles will also end partnerships with other airlines and shopping partners on the same date.

    Why This Matters

    For a while, this HawaiianMiles path gave Amex cardholders a simple way to move points into Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, even though Amex doesn’t transfer to Alaska directly.

    By going Amex → HawaiianMiles → Alaska, travelers could top up their Alaska balances for some of the best award deals out there. But with Amex transfers to Hawaiian ending June 30th, 2025, this backdoor option is about to disappear for good.

    How to Transfer Membership Rewards to Hawaiian (and Alaska)

    1. Log in to your American Express account and go to the “Rewards & Benefits” page.
    2. Transfer Membership Rewards points to HawaiianMiles. (You can transfer up to 999,000 points per day.)
    3. Once in your HawaiianMiles account, use the transfer tool to move them to your Alaska Mileage Plan account.

    Pro Tip: Alaska Mileage Plan miles don’t expire as long as you keep your account active. That means you can transfer them now and save them for a future trip.

  • April 2025 Product Updates

    April 2025 Product Updates

    At PointsYeah, we’re constantly improving the site to help you get the most out of your points. Our latest update brings four powerful new features that make finding the perfect flight or trip even faster and more flexible.

    Miles & More Group Now Available

    Miles & More Group

    We’ve expanded our search capabilities to include the Miles & More Group (MMG), featuring award availability from Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian, Brussels Airlines, and over 30 partner airlines worldwide. This means you can now see more options and book through the Miles & More program directly, giving you even greater access to top European carriers.

    Premium-Only: Drag-and-Drop Filters

    For our Premium members, we’ve introduced a new Drag-and-Drop Filter Customization feature. This allows you to personalize how your search results are displayed. Want to prioritize nonstop flights, lowest points, or shortest travel time? Simply drag and drop the filter you value most.

    Once set on desktop, your filter preferences carry over to mobile, making it easier to find the perfect flight wherever you are.

    Smarter Region Mapping

    Our new U.S. Region Mapping feature lets you search across multiple airports without the clutter of a nationwide search. We’ve introduced five new sub-regions for more targeted searches:

    • United States Northeast – JFK, LGA, EWR, BOS, PHL
    • United States Midwest – ORD, DTW, MSP, CLE
    • United States South – DFW, IAH, BNA, AUS
    • United States Southeast – ATL, MIA, CLT, TPA
    • United States West – LAX, SFO, SEA, SAN, DEN

    This approach balances flexibility with focus, making it easier to explore flights across your chosen region without seeing irrelevant results.

    Exclude Airlines for a More Personalized Search

    You can now choose to exclude specific airlines from your search results, giving you more control over the options presented. Whether you want to skip certain carriers or focus on your preferred ones, just set it once and it will apply to all future searches.

    How to Make the Most of These New Features

    • MMG Availability: Use the Miles & More filter in your search to see flights across their wide network of European and global partners.
    • Region Mapping: Start a search and select your preferred region to explore multiple airports at once.
    • Drag-and-Drop Filters: Premium members can rearrange filters to instantly customize search results.
    • Exclude Airlines: Set your airline preferences to skip results you don’t want to see.

    These updates are all about making PointsYeah faster, smarter, and more user-friendly, giving you the tools to find the best flights with your points. Ready to try them out?

    Start Searching on PointsYeah →

  • ✈️ Introducing the all-new Daydream Explorer

    ✈️ Introducing the all-new Daydream Explorer

    April 2025

    The way you explore with points just changed completely.

    We didn’t just update Daydream Explorer, we reimagined how award travel should feel.

    It now starts with a first-of-its-kind map that lets you search from anywhere to anywhere, across both flights and hotels. Toggle between them, zoom into regions, and start spotting possibilities instantly.

    When you hone in on a destination, you’ll drop into a list view that feels familiar to Daydream of the past, letting you compare cabins, airlines, transfer partners, and more side by side.

    You might start out looking for a trip to Paris… and end up planning something entirely different. That’s the magic of Daydream.

    Whether you’re ready to book or just playing around, it’s the most inspiring way to use your points.

    Explore Like Never Before


    No departure city? No destination? No problem.


    Start by choosing a region, or just hit “Anywhere”, and Daydream Explorer will instantly find flight and hotel options based on your filters. You can have up to three continents, Regions, countries, States or airports in each departure and arrival

    It’s built for open-ended exploring, flexible planning, and those “just browsing” moments that turn into real trips.

    And it’s not just about flights. Daydream also includes access to the Hotel Collection, a curated set of inspirational stays you can book with points. From beachfront escapes to boutique hideaways, it’s your gateway to unforgettable hotel experiences.

    Cabin Class Colors on the Map

    A quick visual guide to help you scan with confidence.

    Every cabin type is color-coded on the map, so whether you’re browsing one class or all of them, it’s easy to compare. It’s a fast, intuitive way to spot the cabins you care about most, especially if you’re casually browsing or comparing options across the world.

    🔵 Blue – Economy
    🟢 Green – Premium Econ
    🟣 Purple – Business Class
    🟠 Orange – First Class

    Filters That Actually Matter

    Daydream Explorer lets you fine-tune your search to match exactly what you’re looking for.

    On the flight page, you can filter by:

    • Cabin class
    • Airline program
    • Bank program
    • Number of stops
    • Max points
    • Max taxes
    • Trip themes like beach, city, honeymoon, golf, family, and even to the moon

    Whether you’re trying to find nonstop flights to Tokyo or a luxury stay in Rome, it’s all right there.

    From Dreaming to Doing

    Once you’ve found a destination you’re excited about in Daydream, you’ll land on a search card, a smart summary that shows you everything available for that specific route.

    Here’s what you’ll see:

    • All currently available award options
    • Points pricing across multiple days
    • All airline program options for that route
    • Clear cabin labels (economy, business, etc.)
    • Latest updated time

    It’s a bird’s-eye view of what’s possible with your points.

    And when one of those options looks right, just click to preview and tap ‘Real-Time Search’ to confirm availability instantly.

    Explorer Alerts: Your travel sidekick

    Not ready to book yet? That’s what Explorer Alerts are for.

    You’ll find the orange bell icon at the top near the search filters or next to any deal you want to keep an eye on.

    Click it, and you can customize your alert with flexible settings like:

    • Where you’re departing from
    • Travel dates
    • Number of seats
    • Travel theme
    • Airline program
    • Bank program
    • Maximum taxes

    Set it and let it run in the background. We’ll let you know when something hits your criteria, so you don’t have to keep checking back. You can track these alerts alongside your Price Point Alerts and Hotel Alerts in your account.

    Explorer Alerts are free, unlimited, and built for travelers who like to keep their options open. Learn more about Explorer Alerts.

    A few ways to use Daydream Explorer

    Whether you’re browsing the map, diving into a search card, or setting up alerts, every part of Daydream is designed to turn ideas into action, and points into travel

    • ✈️ Fly to London in business class for just 29,000 points
    • 🛄 Find a 5k or less award flight
    • 🌴 Book an overwater villa in the Maldives
    • 💼 Find nonstop business class to Asia under 75,000 points
    • 🏙️ Explore hotels in Tokyo for a perfect stay

    From planning to playing around, Daydream helps you turn “maybe someday” into “I’m doing this”.

    🚀 Ready to Try It?

    The most visual way to plan award travel is live now.
    Explore freely. Toggle between flights and hotels. Get inspired.

    See where your points can take you →

    Not loving the new Daydream Explorer flow? You can toggle back to the old view at any time by pressing “Detail view” button. You can even set this as your preference in your user settings.