From time to time, one FTer will tell another that they should "search" for the answers they seek. Sometimes that response amounts to a well-meaning suggestion that the subject has been previously discussed in some depth and helpful information is there to be found in old threads; sometimes it amounts to a not so friendly rebuke. I have tried to search for answers in old threads, but I have not been terribly successful with those efforts. Are there ways to use FT's "search" function more effectively? If so, what might those ways be, or where can I find useful guidance in this regard?

MP sent an email about trading hotel points for UA miles. At first glance, it looks like a real stinker of a deal to me. But I thought to see if this offer had been discussed on any FT forum (UA, CC, etc.) and plugged in "hotel points" as my search term. That proved futile. The search results I got back were posts that contained the word "hotel" anywhere in them, the search engine apparently having deemed "points" too "general" a term to be of any value and did not look for the meaningful combo "hotel" and "points." Will "search" not look for requested strings/phrases or combinations of words? Can't we somehow specify with more precision what we are and are not looking for, so as to find it?

Any guidance will be appreciated.