How to Hire an Expert to Book Your Travel Using Points and Miles

For many travelers, the most frustrating part of the “points and miles” lifestyle isn’t earning the rewards—it’s actually using them. Finding elusive business-class seats or navigating complex transfer partners can take hours of tedious research.

While most major travel media outlets do not offer individual booking services due to the immense workload involved, a specialized industry of award concierge services has emerged to bridge the gap. These companies act as professional intermediaries, using their expertise and specialized tools to find high-value redemptions for a fee.

If you have the points but lack the time or technical knowledge, here is a breakdown of the top services available to help you book your next trip.

Premium Concierge Services

These services are ideal for travelers looking for a “hands-off” experience where experts handle everything from research to final booking.

Cranky Concierge

Originally focused on points and miles, Cranky Concierge has evolved into a full-service travel agency. They are particularly noted for their ability to resolve disputes with hotels and secure difficult award inventory.
– Pricing: Approximately $275 for round-trip mile redemptions; starting at $95 for cash bookings.
– Best for: Travelers seeking proactive support and assistance with complex or disputed bookings.

Point.me

A major player in the space, Point.me combines a powerful search engine with a dedicated concierge service. They leverage massive amounts of data and personal airline experience to advise on what is both “possible and practical.”
– Pricing: Full-service concierge bookings start at roughly $200.
– Alternative: For those who prefer a “do-it-yourself” approach, their Premium subscription offers a self-serve search tool, alerts, and one-on-one consultations at a lower cost.
– Best for: Users who want access to high-end search tools or those who want a hybrid of self-service and expert advice.

Specialized Award Booking Agencies

These providers focus heavily on the technical aspect of finding “award space”—the specific seats airlines release for points redemption.

JetBetter

Run by travel expert Juan Ruiz, this service focuses on maximizing the value of your points by finding high-value premium cabin seats.
– Pricing: Starts at $150 for one-way or $250 for round-trip award bookings. Additional passengers are roughly $150–$200 each.
– Best for: Travelers looking for a personalized touch to find hard-to-find premium cabin availability.

Travel on Point(s)

Operating through a popular blog and Facebook community, this service uses an online request system.
– Pricing: Requests start around $100, but fees can scale based on complexity. They charge a nonrefundable $100 search fee (or 50% of the total, whichever is less).
– Note: Because award availability changes instantly, they advise travelers to be ready to book the moment a result is found.

10xTravel

This service is designed for two types of people: those who are too busy to dig through transfer partners, and those who are overwhelmed by the redemption process.
– Pricing: They charge a nonrefundable $50 fee just to initiate a search. A typical round-trip booking might cost a total of $200 (including the search fee).
– Best for: Beginners who want to learn how the process works or travelers with highly complicated itineraries.

Summary Comparison of Services

Pro Tip: Before hiring a professional, decide if you are a “DIYer.” If you enjoy the hunt, tools like Seats.aero, ExpertFlyer, or Roame.travel can help you find availability on your own without paying service fees.

Conclusion

Hiring a concierge service is a trade-off: you pay a fee in exchange for time and expertise. For simple domestic trips, DIY tools are usually sufficient, but for complex international itineraries or elusive business-class seats, these professional services can provide significant value.