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ANA 75K–88K RT in business via Virgin Atlantic

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All News From the Cockpit Deals Guides Analysis

Guides6 min read

How to Book Aeroplan Awards Before the June 1 Devaluation

Aeroplan raises partner award rates June 1, 2026. Book first-class and business-class awards now to lock in rates up to 20% lower. Step-by-step guide inside.

MileIntel

May 14, 2026

Recent

30 articles

flat lay photography of person holding pen in front of world map

01News

Expedia Paid $279M for Tiqets While Airbnb Pocketed $70M

Expedia paid $279M for Tiqets B2B infrastructure while Airbnb collected a $70M gain exiting the same asset. Here's what it means for loyalty travelers.

MileIntel

8 minMay 14

02Deals

May 2025 Deals Roundup: 5 Worth Booking, 2 to Skip

Flying Blue economy to Europe for 18,750 miles one-way leads this month's roundup. We do the full cpp math so you don't have to.

MileIntel

11 minMay 13

A large jetliner flying through a blue sky

03News

United's 737 MAX to Glasgow: Premium Plus in Name Only

United launched its first-ever 737 MAX nonstop to the UK on May 8, 2026. The 'Premium Plus' cabin is a domestic recliner—not lie-flat—on a 7-hour red-eye.

MileIntel

10 minMay 12

04Deals

NEW-WAY, AMD-NEW & TIP-TOE: Real Fare Codes or Travel Myth?

These three cryptic fare codes are circulating in travel forums. Here's what our research found—and which real sweet spots to book instead.

MileIntel

16 minMay 10

Close-up of an old airplane's cockpit interior.

05News

Do Long-Haul Pilots Really Sleep in Secret Bunks?

Yes, pilots sleep in hidden crew rest compartments on long-haul flights — but in-flight sleep is only 70% as restorative as ground sleep, making bunks a mitigation, not a fix.

MileIntel

7 minMay 8

An emirates airbus a380 airplane takes off.

06News

Emirates A380's 14 First Class Seats: The Real Trade-Offs

Emirates packs 14 First Class suites onto its A380, but elite-only restrictions since May 2025 and devalued transfer ratios make this award harder than ever to book.

MileIntel

7 minMay 7

Modern lounge area with couch and floor lamps.

07Guide

Hyatt Award Chart Devaluation 2026: Lock In Rates Before May 20

Hyatt's 5-tier award chart launches May 20, 2026. Category 8 peaks jump 67%. Here's exactly what to book now and where the new sweet spots are.

MileIntel

6 minMay 6

08News

United's 737 MAX to Glasgow: No Lie-Flat, Monopoly Pricing

United launched its first 737 MAX nonstop to the UK on May 8, 2026. The Glasgow route has no Polaris lie-flat — and United is the only U.S. carrier flying it.

MileIntel

10 minMay 5

Airport sign showing flight information and bag tracking

09News

Southwest's Boarding Rewrite: Seat Anxiety Became Bin Chaos

Southwest rewrote its 8-group boarding system twice in 90 days after assigned seating launched Jan. 27, 2026—replacing gate anxiety with a worse overhead bin crisis.

MileIntel

10 minMay 4

10From the Cockpit

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.

MileIntel

6 minMay 3

Hyatt centric building overlooking a city at dusk

11Guide

Suite Arbitrage: Maximize Premium Suites Before Hyatt's May 20 Devaluation

Hyatt's May 20 devaluation hits standard rooms hardest. Here's how to lock in premium suite awards at current rates before the 5-tier chart takes effect.

MileIntel

6 minApr 30

A white airplane model next to a computer keyboard.

12News

Expedia Spent $279M on Acquisitions in Q1 2020, Airbnb Booked $70M Tiqets Gain

Expedia burned $279M in cash on acquisitions while Airbnb logged a $70M paper gain on Tiqets — two very different bets made weeks before COVID erased travel.

MileIntel

8 minApr 27

13Guide

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.

MileIntel

10 minApr 24

a group of credit cards sitting next to a cell phone

14Analysis

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.

MileIntel

10 minApr 23

15From 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.

MileIntel

7 minApr 23

Tropical resort with pools and palm trees by the ocean

16From 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.

MileIntel

6 minApr 18

17Analysis

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.

MileIntel

8 minApr 14

18Deals

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.

MileIntel

6 minApr 14

a couple of tall buildings sitting next to each other

19From 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.

MileIntel

7 minApr 9

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