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The MileIntel Blog

Points of Departure

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

All Deals Guides News From the Cockpit Analysis

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News6 min read

United's 737 MAX Transatlantic Move Looks Like Its Azores Play. Here's What Happened Then.

United launches EWR-Santiago de Compostela on a 737 MAX 8 starting May 27, 2026. Economy saver awards start at 40,000 MileagePlus miles. Here's the full breakdown.

MileIntel

May 26, 2026

Recent

36 articles

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01Guide

Book Hyatt Awards Before May 20, 2026: The 6-Step Targeting Path

Hyatt's May 20 overhaul raised Category 8 costs by 67%. The real story is the mid-tier squeeze and certificate erosion. Six steps to target the right properties now.

MileIntel

6 minMay 25

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02Deals

5 BA Avios Deals Worth Booking Before May 27, 2026

BA raises Avios cash fees up to 33% on May 27. The math says skip BA long-haul; book partners instead. Five deals that survive the surcharge explosion.

MileIntel

11 minMay 24

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03Deals

5 EVA Air Award Deals Worth Booking This Summer 2026

EVA Air business class to Asia runs $4,000–$6,000 cash. These 5 award paths show you exactly how to close that gap, including the group-booking angle most guides skip.

MileIntel

6 minMay 23

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04News

Why Southwest's 20 New June Routes Miss the Real Story

Southwest launches 20 new routes on June 4 and June 6, 2026 — but overall capacity falls 1% YoY, 11 international routes are cut simultaneously, and dynamic pricing means award costs will exceed the 1.3¢ baseline on high-demand new routes.

MileIntel

9 minMay 22

05Guide

Is the KLM Flying Blue Transfer Bonus Still Worth It in 2026?

Flying Blue's 20% transfer bonus from Chase expires May 27, 2026. Before you transfer, read why the 2025 devaluation may have already spent it for you.

MileIntel

10 minMay 21

06Analysis

MileIntel vs Seats.aero: An Honest Comparison

Seats.aero is the best award search tool on the market. Here is where it wins, where MileIntel wins, and why most serious travelers want both.

MileIntel Team

6 minMay 20

07Deals

VIP-VIP, IPS-NEW, OXO-OXO: Why These Fare Codes Don't Exist

VIP-VIP, IPS-NEW, and OXO-OXO are not real airline fare codes. Here's how actual fare basis codes work and what frequent flyers should track instead.

MileIntel

14 minMay 20

08Analysis

MileIntel vs Point.me: The Honest Comparison

Point.me is the concierge service for points redemptions. We cover where it works well, the documented accuracy complaints, and how MileIntel takes a different approach.

MileIntel Team

6 minMay 19

09Analysis

MileIntel vs Roame: Search vs Full-Portfolio

Roame is the best-designed points search tool on the market. It is also strictly search. Here is where MileIntel fills the larger gap.

MileIntel Team

6 minMay 18

10Analysis

MileIntel vs AwardWallet: The Incumbent vs the Modern Tracker

AwardWallet is the original miles tracker. We cover the documented sync problems, the password-sharing model, and how MileIntel takes a different approach.

MileIntel Team

6 minMay 17

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11Deals

May 2026 Deals Roundup: Which Bonuses Actually Deliver

53 active deals flood the market this May, but most transfer bonuses mask eroding point values. Here's what's worth acting on—and what to skip.

MileIntel

11 minMay 17

12Analysis

Hyatt vs. Aeroplan vs. Emirates: Who Survived May 2026 Best?

Hyatt's 67% peak price hike looks worst on paper, but Emirates' collapsing transfer network is the real disaster. Here's the data-driven verdict.

MileIntel

6 minMay 15

13Guide

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

6 minMay 14

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14News

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

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15News

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

An emirates airbus a380 airplane takes off.

16News

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

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17News

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