Mon, 4 May 2026

Pieces

How travel actually works.

  1. Why British Airways Pays a Pilot $100,000 a Year to Never Leave the Ground system explainer A job ad for a pilot who only taxis planes at Chicago O'Hare reveals the hidden economics of airport turnarounds.
    4 May 2026
  2. Fort Lauderdale's route map is being redrawn overnight — here's what it means for fares route analysis Spirit's exit leaves 30% of Fort Lauderdale's seats empty. JetBlue is racing to fill them. Here's how a route map gets redrawn — and what it means for prices.
    4 May 2026
  3. The free city break hiding inside your layover: how stopover programs actually work destination intel Airlines let you turn a connecting flight into a free city break. We map the programmes worth knowing and the booking mechanics behind them.
    4 May 2026
  4. Puglia without the crowds: what United's new Bari route actually unlocks destination intel United now flies Newark to Bari nonstop. We look at what Puglia offers, when to go, and why the window for quiet visits is closing.
    4 May 2026
  5. The shoulder-season cheat code: where points bookings pay off most in spring and autumn seasonal Cash hotel rates drop in shoulder season but award prices often hold steady. That gap is where your points stretch furthest — here's how to use it.
    4 May 2026
  6. What you're actually buying when you pay for transpacific premium economy system explainer Premium economy costs two to three times economy on transpacific flights. Whether the uplift is worth it depends on measurable specs, not marketing.
    4 May 2026
  7. Two Travel Deals Worth Checking This Week — and the Maths Behind Each deal roundup An Amex-to-JetBlue transfer bonus and a Delta gift-card promo both expire May 11. One is quietly good. The other is a rounding error.
    4 May 2026
  8. Why the same airline model prints money in Europe and burns it in America system explainer Spirit and Ryanair ran the same playbook. One posted record profits, the other went bankrupt. Five structural differences explain why.
    4 May 2026
  9. Why your points keep losing value — the mechanics of loyalty programme devaluations system explainer Loyalty points are a liability on an airline's balance sheet. Devaluations follow a predictable pattern tied to credit-card deals and revenue targets.
    4 May 2026
  10. Why connecting flights are cheaper than flying direct system explainer The economics behind why adding a stop often costs less than going straight there — hub pricing, load factors, and how airlines fill planes.
    3 May 2026