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Travel Smarter
Points strategies, fare deal breakdowns, product updates, and the engineering behind Pointify. Updated every week.
444 posts·3 contributors·20+ topics
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Showing all 444 posts·Page 1 of 37
Featured
Destinations6 min read
Memorial Day 2026 award space at T-13 days: the 6 routes that still have saver
Memorial Day weekend is the second-highest US domestic award demand spike of the spring. T-13 days is the inflection point — here is where saver still exists in 2026 and where it has already collapsed.
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Pointify Research Team|
Credit Cards6 min read
Airline credit card welcome bonuses: the best-of-the-best in May 2026
May 2026 has 4 airline cards offering welcome bonuses at or above their all-time highs. Here is which card pays out the most after factoring in spend requirements + first-year fees.
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Pointify Research Team|
Destinations5 min read
Mother's Day 2026 last-minute flights: what saver inventory looked like at T-3 days
US Mother's Day weekend pushes domestic award demand to its third-highest spike of the year. Here is what saver availability looked like at T-3 days for the 6 highest-volume corridors in 2026.
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Pointify Research Team|
Travel Tips5 min read
The Saturday-arrival hotel hack: how arrival day decides the 5th-night-free math
Marriott and Hilton both offer 5th-night-free on award stays. The night the algorithm marks "free" depends on which night is cheapest — and arrival day controls that more than most travelers realize.
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Pointify Research Team|
Credit Cards5 min read
Marriott Bonvoy 35K + 50K + 85K free-night certificates: best sweet spots in May 2026
Annual Marriott Bonvoy free-night certificates expire faster than most cardholders use them. Here are the highest-cents-per-point redemptions for each tier this month.
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Pointify Research Team|
Airlines6 min read
Summer 2026 transatlantic award space outlook: who has saver, who is closed
May is when summer transatlantic saver availability either opens up or locks down for the next four months. The 2026 picture is unusually mixed — some routes are wide open while others are already fully closed.
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Pointify Research Team|
Points & Miles6 min read
Q2 2026 transfer bonuses: Chase + Amex moves to know this month
May 2026 has the heaviest transfer-bonus density of any month in 12 months across the major flexible-points programs. Here is what is active and what to time.
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Pointify Research Team|
Destinations5 min read
Mexico City + Cancún with points: Cinco de Mayo weekend booking patterns 2026
Cinco de Mayo weekend pushes US-Mexico award demand to its second-highest spike of the year. Here is what saver inventory looked like across the four major Mexico hubs in 2026.
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Pointify Research Team|
Airlines9 min read
United Economy lie-flat seats arrive in 2027 — what travelers and points-collectors should expect
United Airlines is rolling out lie-flat seating in economy on select widebody routes starting 2027. Forbes broke the story; here is the points + cash strategy for the next 18 months as deployment unfolds.
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Pointify Research Team|
Airlines8 min read
Spirit Airlines shutdown: what affected travelers should do right now
Spirit Airlines has ceased operations and been delisted from search inventory. If you have a booking, here is the rebooking + refund + points-recovery path Pointify recommends step by step.
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Pointify Research Team|
Destinations6 min read
Fly to Venice with Points 2026: Cheapest award routings + the Marco Polo trap
Venice Marco Polo (VCE) sees minimal direct US service. The award path is almost always via Munich, Frankfurt, Paris, or Rome — and the cheapest option depends on which alliance you book through.
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Pointify Research Team|
Destinations6 min read
Fly to Florence with Points 2026: The award routings most travelers miss
Florence Peretola (FLR) has limited direct US service — most travelers route through Rome, Milan, Frankfurt, or Munich. Here are the actual mile costs and which alliance to book through.
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Pointify Research Team|
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