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The MileIntel Blog

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Airline miles intelligence, loyalty program strategy, and the sharpest thinking in travel rewards.

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From the Cockpit6 min read

How MileIntel's Transfer Graph Actually Works

Wells Fargo just added Cathay Pacific as a transfer partner. Here's why that's a hard engineering problem — and how we built the system to handle it.

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MileIntel
May 3, 2026
Recent
18 articles
airplane parked near passenger pathway01Guide

KLM Flying Blue Miles: Best Deals & Sweet Spots in 2026

Flying Blue devalued in 2025 and raised surcharges in 2026—but smart redemptions still deliver real value. Here's exactly where the deals are.

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MileIntel
10 minApr 24
a group of credit cards sitting next to a cell phone02Analysis

2026 Airline Earning Penalties: Ranked by Budget Traveler Impact

All three major U.S. legacy carriers now earn zero miles on basic economy. Here's how each program ranks and what budget travelers should do now.

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MileIntel
10 minApr 23
a large airplane flying in the sky03From the Cockpit

Mergers Break Loyalty Programs. Here's How MileIntel Catches It.

The Allegiant-Sun Country merger follows a familiar pattern that costs loyalty members thousands. Here's how MileIntel's upgrade monitor and status tracker catch it.

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MileIntel
7 minApr 23
Tropical resort with pools and palm trees by the ocean04From the Cockpit

The Alert I Wish Existed Last Week (Building It Now)

Hyatt just hiked peak-night costs by up to 67%. Members found out too late. Here's the fork in the road I faced building MileIntel's alert system.

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MileIntel
6 minApr 18
man standing on cliff near falls05Deals

Best Travel Deals Roundup: April 2026 Transfer Bonuses & More

The hottest travel deals of April 2026: transfer bonuses expiring in days, buy-miles sales up to 125%, and why you must book Hyatt before May.

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MileIntel
6 minApr 14
people walking on a building06Analysis

Airline Sale Fares in 2026: How to Actually Win

Airfares are down 10% internationally in 2026, but dynamic award pricing is eating your points. Here's how to find real value during airline sale seasons.

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MileIntel
8 minApr 14
a couple of tall buildings sitting next to each other07From the Cockpit

Citi ThankYou Devaluation: The $300 Warning We Almost Missed

Citi ThankYou cuts Choice Privileges transfers 25% and Preferred Hotels 50% on April 19. Here's the math, what to do now, and why we almost missed it.

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MileIntel
7 minApr 9
a large jetliner flying over a runway at an airport08Analysis

United MileagePlus 2026: What the Overhaul Means for You

United MileagePlus is splitting its 100M members in two. Non-cardholders lose 40% of base earning starting April 2. Here's exactly what to do.

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MileIntel
8 minMar 28
A large passenger jet flying over a runway09News

Qantas Flight Reward Finder: Full Breakdown and Hidden Gaps

Qantas's free Flight Reward Finder is useful but hides critical gaps: QF metal is only 8.8% of results, there's no carrier filter, and Emirates surcharges can top $720.

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MileIntel
8 minMar 27
Airport departure board showing flight destinations and times10News

United MileagePlus Just Changed Award Pricing: Here's What It Means for Your Miles

United quietly shifted MileagePlus award pricing on premium cabin routes. Here's exactly what changed, which routes are affected, and how to protect your redemption strategy.

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MileIntel
3 minMar 21
Luxury airline first class cabin with ambient lighting11Guide

The Complete Guide to Airline Miles Tracking in 2026

Learn how to track airline miles across every loyalty program. Covers valuations, expiration rules, earning strategies, and the tools that replace your spreadsheet.

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MileIntel
4 minMar 18
Premium credit cards arranged on a dark marble surface12Analysis

Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Gold: The 2026 Decision Framework

Chase Sapphire Preferred or Amex Gold? We modeled real spending across 6 profiles to find which card actually earns more, with exact dollar figures, not vague 'it depends' answers.

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MileIntel
3 minMar 15
Airplane wing above turquoise tropical ocean at golden hour13Deals

7 Award Flight Sweet Spots to Book This Spring

Business class to Tokyo for 50,000 miles. First class to the Maldives for $30 in fees. Here are 7 award sweet spots you can actually book right now, with step-by-step instructions.

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MileIntel
3 minMar 12
Developer workspace with code editor and laptop14From the Cockpit

Why I'm Building MileIntel (And Why I Can't Stop)

My wife is a surgical resident. I run a startup. We have almost no overlapping free time. This game, the miles game, is how we make the little time we have together count.

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Aditya Badve
7 minMar 9
Airplane cockpit view at sunset with clouds below15From the Cockpit

We Built an AI Travel Concierge. Here's What Happened.

I was standing in the United Club at O'Hare, 90 minutes before a flight to Tokyo, staring at two browser tabs. One showed my Chase UR balance, the other showed United award pricing. I needed a simple answer and couldn't get it.

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Aditya Badve
4 minMar 6
Data dashboard with analytics charts on dark screen16From the Cockpit

How We Track 47 Airline Programs Without Losing Our Minds

Last Tuesday, Delta quietly raised the floor price on SkyMiles business class awards to Europe by 15%. We caught it in 4 hours. The Points Guy wrote about it 3 days later.

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Aditya Badve
3 minMar 3
Close-up of premium credit cards on a dark surface17From the Cockpit

Your Wallet Is Lying to You (And We Built a Fix)

Last week, Chase launched a 25% transfer bonus to Hyatt that expired in 48 hours. Most people missed it. That's the problem we're obsessing over right now.

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Aditya Badve
5 minFeb 28
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