When you look up a case in PACER using the query function, you get to a summary page (before you have ever been charged for anything) which gives you something like:

3:08-cv-04373-VRW Jewel et al v. National Security Agency et al
Vaughn R. Walker, presiding
Date filed: 09/18/2008
Date of last filing: 12/17/2009

Query
Alias
Associated Cases
Attorney
Case File Location...
Case Summary
Deadlines/Hearings...
Docket Report ...
Filers
History/Documents...
Party
Related Transactions...
Status
View a Document

If you hover your cursor over any of those links, you'll see that they
all end in "207206" which is the PACER case number for this case. I can then take that info and go to:

http://www.archive.org/details/gov.uscourts.cand.207206/

to check out the RECAP docket first without ever being charged by PACER. And since the PACER summary page tells me the date of last filing, I can typically surmise whether the RECAP docket is up-to-date or not, before I decide whether to pay for it on PACER.

Make this process easier for misers by providing a link to the RECAP docket (and perhaps providing the date of its last update) right there on the PACER summary page.