Frequently asked questions

Pointhound helps you get 40-90% off flights by using your credit card points strategically instead of cash.

We have two search tools: Top Deals Search lets you search up to 6 origins and 6 destinations with a full year of results, while Standard Search covers specific routes and dates.

Instead of getting 1-2 cents per point through your credit card portal, you'll get 5-15 cents per point value. That $3,000 business class ticket to Europe? You might book it for just 50,000 points instead of 200,000+ through your card's portal.

Premium members get Flight Deal Digests—curated deals with step-by-step booking instructions matched to your points programs and home airports. Premium also unlocks business & first class deals, advanced filters, deals up to 365 days out, and Flight Alerts that text or email you when seats open up on routes you're watching.

Yes, Pointhound will help you find and book flights with your credit card points and miles for a fee of $150 for the first passenger and $100 for each additional passenger. Click here to contact Pointhound Concierge Service

Included in our concierge booking service is an introductory consultation session, a Pointhound representative searching for and presenting up to four curated itineraries with dates, airlines, point costs, fees, and any caveats, plus step-by-step booking instructions.

You've come to the right place! This is exactly why we're here - to help you earn as many points as possible and redeem them strategically for free flights. Start by getting the right credit card based on your spending habits. Focus on categories where you spend the most - travel, dining, groceries etc.

The fastest way to rack up points is through welcome bonuses. Most cards offer 50k-100k+ bonus points when you meet spending requirements in your first few months. That's often enough for multiple domestic flights or one international trip right off the bat. Then maximize your ongoing earning by using cards that give you the highest multipliers on your regular spending.

Check out our cards page to see the best current offers and use our links when you apply - it helps keep our tools free.

The way we monetize as a business is through two main sources: credit card affiliate fees paid by issuers when users sign up for cards through our credit cards page, and our Premium subscription. We're hoping that our community loves our free flight and credit card tools enough to choose to open any new credit cards with us or upgrade to premium deals. No pressure of course - we'd be thrilled for you to use our tools either way.

And just so it's super clear: we do not sell any of your user data.

Our search tools show one-way flights, but we highlight roundtrip deals in our digest when we find great ones. When we say "roundtrip" in the digest, we mean two paired one-way flights that work well together - not a traditional packaged roundtrip ticket.

Here's something important for beginners: booking two separate one-way flights with points is almost always better than booking a traditional roundtrip. You'll often save thousands of points and get more flexibility to mix airlines or routes.

When you see a one-way deal you like, just search separately for the return flight from your destination back to your home airport. This lets you find the best redemption rate for each direction instead of being locked into whatever the airline charges for a packaged roundtrip. You can even pay cash for one direction if that turns out to be a better deal.

Our search tools show one-way flights, but we highlight roundtrip deals in our digest when we find great ones. When we say "roundtrip" in the digest, we mean two paired one-way flights that work well together - not a traditional packaged roundtrip ticket.

Here's something important for beginners: booking two separate one-way flights with points is almost always better than booking a traditional roundtrip. You'll often save thousands of points and get more flexibility to mix airlines or routes.

When you see a one-way deal you like, just search separately for the return flight from your destination back to your home airport. This lets you find the best redemption rate for each direction instead of being locked into whatever the airline charges for a packaged roundtrip. You can even pay cash for one direction if that turns out to be a better deal.

That’s our secret. What we can say is, we search far and wide to find the best deals using all of the different ways you can book a flight with points. Rest assured, you’re finding the best prices with Pointhound.

Not every airline, no, but most of them! We search about 150 airlines, give or take, when you hit search, including most major airlines. There are still a few we have yet to incorporate, like JetBlue and Southwest, but those are coming soon!

It happens. Airlines are in charge of setting prices for flights and on certain days the price in points might not be that great. If you have flexibility in your travel dates, we recommend using the Top Flight Deals search to uncover incredible rates. You can also set up Flight Alerts with Premium to get texted when better award availability opens up on routes you're watching.

Here's the step-by-step process: First, when you find a flight deal you like on Pointhound, click through to see the full transfer instructions. Always confirm that the award seats are still available on the airline's website before transferring any points - award availability can disappear quickly.

Once you've confirmed availability, transfer your points from your credit card to the airline loyalty program following our detailed instructions. Most transfers are instant, but some can take 1-3 days. After the points land in your airline account, log into that airline's website and book the exact flight we showed you. Make sure to book the same flight class and route.

Pro tip: Create accounts with major airline programs ahead of time so you're ready to move fast when you see a great deal. The best award seats often disappear within hours or days of becoming available.

It depends on what you're looking for. Book 11 months out if you want premium cabins on popular routes during peak times - these award seats get snatched up fast. But here's a secret: check again 2 weeks before departure. Airlines often release unsold business and first class seats as award availability since they'd rather fill them with points than fly empty. For economy flights, you have flexibility anywhere from 2-6 months out.

The key is being flexible with your dates and checking multiple times, especially close to departure for last-minute premium deals.

Credit card portals typically give you 1-2 cents per point value, while strategic transfers can get you 5-15 cents per point. When you book through your card's portal, you're limited to their airline partners and pricing. Point transfers give you access to over 150 airlines and premium cabins at much better rates.

Yes, Pointhound will help you find and book flights with your credit card points and miles for a fee of $150 for the first passenger and $100 for each additional passenger. Click here to contact Pointhound Concierge Service

Included in our concierge booking service is an introductory consultation session, a Pointhound representative searching for and presenting up to four curated itineraries with dates, airlines, point costs, fees, and any caveats, plus step-by-step booking instructions.

The ability to use points to cover additional fees, such as baggage fees or in-flight purchases, varies depending on the credit card rewards program and airline policies. Some credit card rewards programs may allow you to redeem points or miles for these expenses, while others may not. In some cases, you may be able to use points to offset these costs.

Redeeming your points for flights is often regarded as the best value because it offers a higher point-to-dollar ratio compared to other redemption options. This means your points can go further when used for travel. Additionally, flight redemptions provide flexibility in terms of airlines, destinations, and travel dates, allowing you to find deals and make the most of your points.

Points for flights win by a huge margin when done right. That cash back card giving you 2% might earn you $500 per year, but those same spending points could get you $2,000-$5,000 worth of flights. Here's the math: spend $25,000 and get $500 cash back, or earn 25,000-50,000 points that book $2,500+ in flights.

The key is learning how to transfer your points instead of just redeeming through your credit card portal. Cash back is simple, but points give you 3-10x more value when you use Pointhound to find out where to transfer your points to get the most value.

You can save 40-90% on flights when you use points strategically. That business class ticket to Paris that costs $3,000 in cash? You'll only need 45,000 points through our transfer instructions - that's like paying $450 if your points were worth 1 cent each.

Compare that to your credit card portal, which would charge you 300,000 points (equivalent to $3,000). So you're saving $2,550 on that one flight. Most travelers save $1,000-$5,000 per international trip.

With points, booking one-way flights offers greater flexibility and the potential for better deals. You can mix and match airlines to secure the best possible fare.

Our search focuses on one-way flights, so for a roundtrip, simply perform two searches: one for your outbound flight and another for your return flight. This way, you can tailor your travel to your preferences and budget.

Yes, many airlines and credit card rewards programs offer the option to use a combination of points and cash to book a flight. This is often referred to as a "cash and points" or "points plus cash" redemption. It provides flexibility, allowing you to cover part of the flight cost with your accumulated points while paying the remaining balance with cash or a credit card. This can be especially useful when you don't have enough points to cover the full cost of the flight or want to conserve your points for future use while still enjoying a discounted ticket price.

We support select airports in the U.S. & Canada where we consistently find exceptional point deals. When you sign up, you'll choose from our list of supported departure cities.

Basic: Choose 1 airport to receive deals from
Premium: Choose up to 3 airports to receive deals from

Don't see your closest home airport? We recommend selecting the closest major airport instead. We promise it's worth the extra connection, even if it means a short hop to get there. Here's why: we've analyzed thousands of routes and only include airports where we can consistently deliver massive point savings. A connecting flight becomes insignificant when you're saving 100k+ points on an international business class flight. A 2-hour connection is a small trade-off for deals that save you thousands of points.

You can explore all available airports in your area when signing up or through your account settings.

Both tiers are just about the deal emails you receive. All our search tools and booking instructions for all cabin classes are 100% free for everyone.

Basic (free) gets you 4-8 deal emails per week. These deals come from one airport you choose and are limited to economy class only. All deals are for flights that depart within 90 days of when we send the email. You can select which points programs you want to see deals for from (ex Chase, Amex, Capital One).

Premium gives you full control. Choose how many emails you want each week and pick up to 3 origin airports. You get access to business & first class deals alongside economy options, if desired. Premium also extends your travel window to 365 days instead of just 60, so you can plan trips up to a year in advance. You can also add your airline mileage programs to see deals using those miles directly. Premium lets you filter by specific regions, airlines, and seat requirements.

Access to business and first class deals is huge since these premium cabin redemptions offer the best value - often saving you thousands of dollars compared to paying cash. The extended travel window also means you can book peak summer flights to Europe in January or holiday travel months ahead.

We send roundtrip deals when we find great ones, but not in every email. Look out for our Perfect Pairs emails that show smart flight combinations.

How many roundtrip deals you see depends on your preferences - if you're flexible with multiple regions and lower seat class requirements, you'll get more options.

Our "roundtrip" deals are actually two separate one-way flights, not a single packaged ticket. This works better for points because two one-ways are often cheaper than traditional roundtrip bookings.

If you only see a one-way deal you like, just search separately for your return flight using our search tool. You can also check if there are good cash deals available for the return leg.

It depends on which Deal Digest plan you have:

Basic: Receive 4-8 deals per week from your selected home airport.

Premium: You control your email frequency:

• Catch every deal (up to 12 weekly): Get all the great deals we find
• Regular updates (up to 7 weekly): Our most popular option
• Occasional deals (up to 3 weekly): Only significant savings
• Minimal updates (up to 2 weekly): Just exceptional opportunities

We send emails only when we discover great deals worth your attention. Unlike predictable weekly newsletters, our digests are based on when airlines release their best award seats - which happens randomly. Once you hit your weekly limit, you won't see any more deals until the next week starts, even if we find amazing opportunities.

Premium users can fine-tune their experience with filters for specific destinations, cabin classes, mileage programs, regions, airlines, and seat availability requirements. If you select very specific criteria (like only business class deals to Asia with 4 seats available), you'll naturally get fewer emails than someone with broader preferences.

Most Premium users start with higher frequency settings to see what's possible, then adjust based on their travel goals.

Credit card portals typically offer poor redemption rates - around 1 to 1.5 cents per point. When you transfer points to airline partners using our instructions, you can get 6-12x more value. For example, a business class flight to Europe might cost 200,000 points through your credit card portal, but only 50,000 points using our transfer strategies.

Our search engine scours over 150 airlines to surface only the best of the best deals - the ones that make you do a double-take. We're not just finding any available award seats; we're finding the exceptional ones that turn your existing points into completely different travel experiences. Many of our members go from thinking "I'll never have enough points for business class" to suddenly realizing they can book premium cabins to dream destinations with the points they already have.

Yes, every deal comes with complete step-by-step transfer instructions. When you click through from the email, you'll see exactly how to move your points from your credit card (like Chase, Amex, or Capital One) to the specific airline program for that deal. We walk you through the entire process - which buttons to click, how long transfers take, and any important considerations.

Not on Pointhound — we focus on finding the best deals using your credit card points. But we also run Travelhound, which sends cheap cash fares and mistake deals straight to your inbox. Pointhound Premium subscribers get $40 off Travelhound.

Here's the thing - if you get extremely narrow with your preferences, you'll get fewer deals. This happens when you select only one airline while turning off points programs that transfer directly to them. Or when you add so many specific filters that you get nothing at all.

Being narrow is totally fine - you'll just get fewer emails, but every single deal we send you will be exactly what you want. Take advantage of all the personalization to match your exact preferences, but know that each filter cuts out potential great deals. Keep your selections broader to see more options!

Examples:

If you say you only want JetBlue flights but only have Wells Fargo points selected, we won't have much to send you.

If you only select 1 mileage program, no points programs, and specify business & first class deals only to Africa from 1 airport, you'll get far fewer deals than someone with broader preferences.

If you think there's a problem - we're more than happy to look into it. Email [email protected]

Yes, your subscription will renew automatically at the end of each billing period. This keeps your access uninterrupted so you don't miss any flight deals.

We'll email you 30 days before your renewal date as a friendly reminder. You can cancel anytime before your next billing date by clicking "manage subscription" in your account. This takes you to our secure payment portal where you have full control over your billing settings.

Your Premium subscription starts with a 7-day free trial. Cancel anytime during the trial in your account settings and you won't be charged.

After the trial ends and you've been billed, we don't offer prorated refunds for partial subscription periods. When you cancel, you'll continue to receive all benefits until the end of your current billing period.

Questions? Email [email protected] and we'll sort it out.

Yep, just turn off emails within your email preferences in your account. This stops the flight deals from hitting your inbox while keeping your subscription active.

You can turn them back on anytime - your account stays the same, you just won't get the email notifications.

You're billed once per year on your signup anniversary date. Your next billing date is displayed in your subscription details within your account.

Just to be clear - only our Premium Deals Digest is a paid subscription. Everything else on Pointhound is completely free, including our Basic Deals Digest, flight search tools, and transfer instructions. The Premium subscription is only for those who want highly personalized flight deals delivered to their inbox.

The only paid aspect of Pointhound is our Premium Deals Digest. Our Basic Deals Digest and all our search tools are 100% free. Cancel your Premium subscription anytime through your account page by selecting "Manage subscription" and choosing "Cancel plan." Your benefits continue until the end of your current billing period. No refunds are provided for partial periods.

To unsubscribe from any of our emails, use the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email, adjust your email preferences in your account settings, or visit the subscription details section in your account.

If you payment method expires, we'll email you 7 days before attempting payment with the expired card. You can update your payment method anytime through "Account details" → "Manage subscription" to avoid any interruption in service.

Your Premium subscription starts with a 7-day free trial—you won't be charged until the trial ends. If Pointhound isn't the right fit, just cancel in your account settings before the trial is over and you won't pay a thing.

After your trial ends and you've been billed, we don't offer refunds for partial subscription periods. When you cancel, you'll keep Premium access until the end of your current billing period.

We set it up this way so you can try Pointhound risk-free. Questions? Email [email protected] and we'll sort it out.

Turning off emails just stops the flight deals from hitting your inbox - you'll still have access to your account and the paid feature you've subscribed to. It's like muting notifications but keeping the service active.

Canceling your subscription is different. This stops your billing entirely and will end your paid access at the end of your term. To cancel, click any "manage subscription" or "billing" button in your account, which will take you to our secure payment portal where you can cancel your recurring payments.

Think of it this way: turning off emails is like putting your phone on silent, while canceling is like turning it off completely. Both options give you control over your experience - just pick what works best for you.

Absolutely, if you use the benefits. Most cards we recommend earn back their annual fee within the first few months through welcome bonuses alone. A $95 annual fee card might give you 60,000 points worth $1,200+ in flights, plus ongoing benefits like free checked bags or lounge access. Do the math on your spending - if you spend $1,000+ monthly, the extra points from higher earning rates easily cover the fee. Cards without annual fees typically earn 1-2% back, while fee cards can effectively give you 5-15% back in flight value when used strategically.

Check out our cards page for the best current offers, and please use our links when you apply - it doesn't cost you anything extra and helps us keep our tools free through affiliate partnerships with card issuers.

Yes, and these welcome bonuses are often the fastest way to rack up points. Most cards offer 50,000-100,000+ bonus points when you spend $3,000-$5,000 in your first 3 months - that's enough for multiple domestic flights or one international trip. The key is timing these bonuses when you have natural spending coming up, like holiday shopping or a big purchase.

We track the best current offers on our cards page, so you can grab bonuses worth $1,000-$4,000 in flights just for switching your everyday spending to a new card. Please consider using our links when you sign up - it costs you nothing extra and helps us keep our tools free through small affiliate commissions from card issuers.

Absolutely. Deciphering credit card points can feel like cracking a secret code, so we offer free 1-1 strategy sessions to help you figure out the best approach for your specific situation. No sales pitch, just real talk about boosting your points game. Our goal is helping you master points with a financially savvy strategy tailored to your lifestyle. We'll help you select the right credit card(s) and show you how to maximize your current spending to earn points effortlessly. These sessions are completely free - just book a time that works for you.

It's easier than you think to maintain good credit. Pay every bill on time - set up autopay if you're forgetful since on-time payments boost your score. Keep your balances low, ideally under 10% of each card's limit. Don't close old cards even if you're not using them, since they help your credit history length.

When applying for new cards, space them out every 3-6 months rather than hitting multiple applications at once. Most people serious about earning points have 800+ credit scores because they follow these simple rules and treat cards like debit cards - only spending what they can immediately pay off.

Don't panic if you credit card application is rejected - consider calling the reconsideration line. Most major issuers have phone numbers specifically for reconsidering declined applications, and you can often get approved by explaining your situation or moving credit limits around from existing cards.

If that doesn't work, find out the specific reason for rejection. Too many recent applications? Wait 3-6 months before trying again. Income too low? Consider adding household income if you're married. Credit score issues? Focus on paying down balances and wait a few months. Sometimes it's just about applying for a different card that better matches your credit profile.

Most often, opening a new credit card will have a positive impact on your credit score. Opening a new credit card increases your available credit and reduces your credit utilization, which is the percentage of your available credit that you're using.

A new credit card can also add to your credit mix, which is another factor considered in your credit score. Additionally, making on-time payments and managing your credit responsibly with your new card can further boost your credit score over time. Overall, in many cases, opening a credit card can be a step towards building a stronger credit profile.

Transferable points are the key to getting massive value from your credit cards. These are points from cards like Chase Sapphire, American Express Gold, and Capital One Venture that you can move to dozens of different airline and hotel loyalty programs. This flexibility is how you get 5-15 cents per point value instead of the 1-2 cents you'd get through the card's own portal.

Non-transferable points are stuck within the card's own rewards program - think Bank of America or Citi cards that only let you redeem through their portals or for statement credits. You're limited to whatever deals they offer, which are usually poor for flights. If you're serious about maximizing points for travel, focus on cards with transferable points. They're the difference between thinking "I'll never afford business class" and actually booking premium cabins regularly.

Wait 2-3 months between credit card applications for most issuers. This spacing shows you're managing credit responsibly and gives your score time to bounce back from each hard inquiry. Some banks like Chase have stricter rules - they typically won't approve you if you've opened 5+ cards in the past 24 months (known as the "5/24 rule"). American Express is more lenient but still prefers spacing and has their own "once per lifetime" bonus restrictions.

The key is planning your card strategy around your travel goals. If you have a big trip coming up, prioritize the cards that transfer to those specific airlines first, then fill in gaps with other cards later. Start with Chase cards since they're pickiest, then move to Amex and other issuers.

Check our cards page for current offers and application timing strategies, and please use our links when you apply - it doesn't cost you anything extra and helps us keep our tools free through affiliate partnerships.

You can tailor alerts to exactly what you're looking for. Set your origin and destination, choose which points programs to track, and pick your departure timing—whether that's a specific date, a range, or anytime. You can also filter by cabin class, number of travelers, number of stops, specific airlines, your points budget, and max taxes and fees.

You can have up to 20 active alerts at a time. Most users find this is plenty to cover their dream destinations. If you hit the limit, just archive any alerts for trips you've already booked or routes you're less excited about.

Alerts are a Premium feature. Upgrade to Premium to start tracking your dream routes and get notified the moment deals pop up.

Flight alert text messages are available to Premium Members and notify you when we find deals matching the flight alerts that you have created with your specific search criteria. You must opt into receiving SMS messages by checking the SMS consent box during signup, and we'll verify your phone number before sending alerts. By opting in, you're agreeing to receive messages related to flight deals.

You'll receive alerts matching your specific criteria until you disable them in your dashboard or reply STOP. Message and data rates may apply according to your carrier plan, and you can unsubscribe anytime by replying STOP or disabling SMS in your Pointhound dashboard.

Flight alert text messages are available exclusively to Premium Members. If you have a Premium Membership, you can choose to receive SMS notifications, but you will never automatically receive text messages from Pointhound.

You must opt into receiving SMS messages by checking the SMS consent box during flight alert setup, and we'll verify your phone number before sending any alerts. You'll receive flight deal alerts matching your search criteria until you disable them in your dashboard or reply STOP. Message and data rates may apply according to your carrier plan, and you can unsubscribe anytime by replying STOP or disabling SMS in your Pointhound dashboard.