PointsYeah’s Daydream Explorer is a useful tool for finding award flights when your travel plans are flexible. Instead of searching only one city-to-city route, you can search broader regions such as Europe, Southern Europe, or other destination areas.
This can be especially helpful when award space is limited or when you are trying to find harder-to-book flights, such as transatlantic business class.
When to use this approach
- You are flexible on your arrival city.
- You want to compare multiple destinations at once.
- You are using transferable points, such as Chase Ultimate Rewards (shown in this example).
- You want to check a full month instead of one exact travel date.
Step 1: Open Daydream Explorer
In PointsYeah, open the Flights menu and select Daydream Explorer. Daydream Explorer works well when you know the general region you want to visit but do not need to fly into one exact airport.
Step 2: Search by region and points program
Enter your departure airport, then choose a broader arrival region. For example, you might search from Boston to Southern Europe instead of only Boston to Venice or Boston to Milan.
If you only want results that work with a specific transferable-points currency, use the bank filter. For example, set the bank filter to Chase if you are planning to use Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
For the date search, choose Whole Month. This is one of the most useful parts of the workflow because award availability can vary significantly from one day to the next.
Step 3: Use the map to compare destinations
After the search runs, zoom in on the map to compare the lowest available award prices across different cities. This makes it easier to spot nearby airports that may have better award availability or lower mileage prices.
Step 4: Filter down to non-stops and other preferences
If nonstop flights matter, narrow your search after reviewing the broader map. Nonstop award options may be more limited, but they can still be worth checking before you book.
For example, if the final destination has limited long-haul service, it may be better to book a nonstop flight into a nearby major airport and continue by train or a short regional flight.
For a trip to Venice, a nonstop award flight into Milan could be worth comparing against connecting itineraries into Venice, as shown in this example. Milan is a much larger airport than Venice, so there are more opportunities for flights.
Step 5: Search outbound and return flights before booking
Before transferring points or booking one direction, search both the outbound and return flights. Return flights from Europe can sometimes be harder to find at a good award price, so it is safer to understand the full round-trip picture first.
Before transferring points to book
- Confirm the exact itinerary, operating airline, taxes, fees, and cancellation rules.
- Check the same flight directly with the airline loyalty program before transferring points.
- Create loyalty accounts in advance for programs you may use, such as Virgin Atlantic Flying Club or Air France-KLM Flying Blue.
- Remember that point transfers are irreversible once completed.
Key takeaway
Daydream Explorer is most useful when you are flexible.
Search by region, compare a full month, and use nearby airports to your advantage. Once you find a promising option, verify the full itinerary directly with the airline program before transferring points.
Safe travels!