How We Find This Week's Best Redemption Opportunities

Every week, Simpli surfaces a set of redemption opportunities in the weekly digest. This article explains how we identify them, what criteria we use, and how to read the results — including the assumptions embedded in any illustrations.

What the Digest Is (and Isn't)

The weekly digest is an editorial summary of redemption opportunities that cleared a value threshold in a specific data window. It's designed to show what's available at a given point in time — not to tell you what to book.

What the digest does:

• Shows flights or awards where the CPP (cents per point) for a specific redemption compares favorably to an illustrative program baseline
• Highlights program-route combinations where premium cabin award availability has appeared
• Flags opportunities with near-term dates where booking lead time matters

What the digest does not do:

• Recommend specific purchases, bookings, or financial decisions
• Guarantee availability — awards shown may sell out before you search
• Account for your individual situation, balance, or travel needs
• Apply scarcity framing — seat count data is volatile and would be misleading as an urgency signal

The digest is information, not advice.

The Methodology: Step by Step

Step 1: Data Collection Window

We poll award search availability across a defined set of program-route combinations on a regular basis. The digest reflects results from the most recent collection window — typically the 7 days prior to publication. Results from earlier windows may still appear if the opportunity remains available, but are dated accordingly.

Step 2: CPP Calculation and Baseline Comparison

For each program-route result, we calculate the CPP using the formula: (cash equivalent − fees paid on award) ÷ points required × 100.

We then compare that result against an illustrative baseline CPP for the program. Results that clear a defined threshold above the baseline are candidates for inclusion.

Baseline CPP values are illustrative.They represent a typical observed range for redemptions through that program — not a program-guaranteed rate, not a floor, and not a financial benchmark. A result that clears the baseline in the digest is not a representation that it constitutes a “good deal” for your specific situation.

Step 3: Availability Check

We note whether award space appears during the search window. Availability is point-in-time and changes frequently. An opportunity shown in the digest may have fewer available seats — or none — by the time you search for it. The digest reflects what the data showed when we ran it, not what's necessarily available now.

Step 4: Editorial Curation

We apply a light editorial pass to filter noise from the data:

• Results with anomalously low fees that appear to be data artifacts
• Routes with routing rules that make them impractical for most travelers (e.g., permitted combinations that require an impractical stopover)
• Results where the cash comparison is distorted by ancillary fees not captured in the base fare comparison

The goal of this pass is to remove false positives, not to rank or prioritize the remaining results.

How to Read a Digest Entry

A typical digest entry looks like this:

Program: Chase Ultimate Rewards → Air Canada Aeroplan transfer
Route: Chicago (ORD) → Tokyo (NRT)
Cabin: Business
Points: 55,000 Aeroplan miles (one way)
Fees: ~$65
Comparable cash price (illustrative): ~$2,800
Illustrative CPP: ~5.0¢

Comparable cash priceis a recent fare we found for a similar itinerary in a comparable booking window. It is an illustration of relative value — not a guaranteed alternative fare you'll find if you search today. Cash prices fluctuate.

Illustrative CPP derives from that comparison. It is labeled illustrative because both the cash price and the award availability can change between when we ran the digest and when you search.

The transfer step matters.If you hold Chase Ultimate Rewards and not Aeroplan miles, you'd need to first transfer points to Aeroplan. Transfer ratios vary; verify before assuming a 1:1 transfer. Transfer partners and ratios are outside our control and may change.

What We Don't Optimize For (By Design)

We don't rank by “best deal.”That framing implies a purchase hierarchy, and any ranking would depend on assumptions about your balance, your travel preferences, and your opportunity cost that we don't have access to.

We don't use scarcity signals.Seat count data is volatile and changes multiple times per day. Presenting “only 2 seats left” as a feature of a weekly digest would be presenting stale data as a decision signal, which we don't think is useful.

We don't speculate about future devaluations. We report what we observe in current data. Speculation about what a program might change is outside what we can support with evidence.

We don't cover opportunities that require paid or elevated status unless they're explicitly labeled as such. Most digest entries are accessible to anyone with the relevant currency.

Methodology Limitations

A few honest limitations:

Coverage is not exhaustive. We cover a defined set of program-route combinations. Unusual routes, smaller regional programs, or niche transfer partners may not appear in the digest even if they offer strong CPP.

The digest is backward-looking by one week.What appeared in the data window may not reflect what's available today. The digest is useful for identifying what types of opportunities surface for a given program or route; it's not a live booking feed.

Cash comparisons reflect one snapshot. The cash fare we used for the CPP calculation was pulled at a specific time. Prices are dynamic; the same itinerary may be priced differently when you search.

Subscribing and Preferences

The weekly digest is delivered via email to subscribers who have opted in. You can adjust your program preferences, route interests, and cabin class preferences in your account settings.

If you're not yet subscribed, you can sign up at livesimpli.app and opt in during onboarding or from the digest settings page.

Where This Fits in the Bigger Picture

The weekly digest is one surface Simpli uses to make award opportunities visible. For a specific itinerary you're already considering, the comparison view gives you a direct cash-vs.-points breakdown with CPP calculated in real time.

For understanding whether a specific CPP is worth acting on, see What Is Cents Per Point (CPP)? and Cash vs. Points: When Should You Pay Cash vs. Use Miles?

For the timing and expiration side of the decision, see How Simpli's Leave-By Calculator Works.