U.S. preclearance in Abu Dhabi walkthrough, Hilton's Diamond Reserve tier, and Aeroplan's intra-Asia sweet spots

Hey {{first name | reader}},

Happy Wednesday! Halfway through the week. Today we've got three things on the menu: Dan's experience using U.S. preclearance in Abu Dhabi, Hilton shaking up its elite program (hello, Diamond Reserve), and Aeroplan's intra-Asia sweet spots that let you fly lie-flat business for 20 - 30k points.

Dan just flew to the U.S. via Abu Dhabi and used U.S. preclearance at AUH - and his exact words were that it was "life-changing."

If you're flying Etihad from Abu Dhabi to the U.S., you don't technically "arrive" in the U.S. when you land there, you arrive before you take off. That's thanks to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) preclearance at Zayed International Airport (AUH).

What preclearance actually is:

Instead of queuing at immigration after landing in the U.S., you clear U.S. immigration and customs in Abu Dhabi before boarding. Once you land in the States, you just walk off the plane and head straight to your connection or the exit, as if you'd arrived on a domestic flight.

Here's how it actually works, step by step:

1. You walk to the preclearance section

It's a dedicated area near a cluster of gates. First thing you do is scan your boarding pass to enter.

2. You go through security… again

Even if you already cleared normal airport security, you go through U.S.-style security here a second time: shoes off and standard U.S. liquids/laptops rules. Dan noted there was no line at all when he went, and there's a separate lane for business and first class, though in his case both lanes were empty.

3. Then you hit U.S. immigration, before leaving Abu Dhabi

After security, you arrive at a full U.S. immigration setup with:

Dan and Oskar used the Mobile Passport line and were processed in about 10 seconds each. The officer was super friendly, none of the intense questioning that people often dread on arrival in the U.S. Just a quick check and a "Hope you have a great trip, honey." 🥹

The visitor line was longer, but still moving and clearly designed so you will make your flight.

Huge tip from Dan: If you're eligible, use Mobile Passport or Global Entry: there were zero people in those lanes.

4. You emerge into the precleared departure area

On the other side is a smaller, self-contained section of the terminal just for U.S.-bound flights, where you can find a little café and a dedicated Etihad First & Business preclearance lounge (It is a small, quiet spot with a bit of food, not somewhere you'd go very early just to hang out, but perfect to wait at the end)

5. Then the magic: arrival in the U.S. feels like a domestic flight

This is the part Dan couldn't stop talking about. When you land in the U.S.:

In his words, they stepped off the plane and "just walked out by a Starbucks, surrounded by passengers," like any normal domestic arrival. It felt wrong, in the best possible way.

Huge extra benefit for connections:

If you're connecting in the U.S. on Etihad after preclearance in AUH:

Dan's verdict: 10/10 recommend. He'll actively try to route future U.S. trips via Abu Dhabi, or Dublin, which also has U.S. preclearance, because skipping the entire U.S. arrival circus is that big of a quality-of-life upgrade.

Hilton Honors just confirmed some major elite updates starting January 1, 2026, including a brand-new top tier: Diamond Reserve.

The headline changes

From 2026, Hilton will:

How to earn Diamond Reserve

Starting 2026, Diamond Reserve requires: 80 nights or 40 stays, plus $18,000 in eligible spend per year.

So it's clearly targeted at very high-value, high-spend guests, like frequent business travelers or people who basically live in Hiltons.

Diamond Reserve includes everything Diamond gets plus:

That Confirmable Upgrade Reward piece is the most interesting. This is Hilton's answer to things like Hyatt's suite upgrade awards or IHG's confirmable upgrades. It finally gives heavy Hilton loyalists a way to lock in better rooms ahead of time, not just hope at check-in.

So… is this good or bad?

Overall, it's a mixed bag, but leaning positive if you're a heavy Hilton guest.

If you're already loyal to Hilton and stay a ton, this gives you real leverage: more predictable upgrades, guaranteed late checkout, and better points earning. The lower requirements for Gold and Diamond are a genuine win for many travelers who split their nights between different chains.

On the flip side, for mid-level Diamonds there's now a group above you getting first crack at the best upgrades, and the $18,000 spend requirement for Diamond Reserve means you can't game your way to the top with cheap-night mattress runs alone.

If you're a casual or even semi-serious Hilton guest, the main takeaway is:

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If you like flying "too much airplane" on short routes, Aeroplan's intra-Asia sweet spots are ridiculous value right now.

Aeroplan uses a zone + distance chart, and most of Asia falls into the Pacific zone. For flights within this zone, partner business class pricing looks like this:

Those 0 - 2,000 mile bands are where the magic happens: you can often snag true lie-flat business class on Star Alliance and Aeroplan partners like Singapore Airlines, ANA, EVA Air, Asiana, and Thai Airways for just 20 - 30k points one-way.

A few classic examples (all bookable with Aeroplan when there's partner space):

Singapore - Bangkok (SQ) ~2 hours, often on a widebody with lie-flat or at least long-haul-style recliners, for 20k points in business if it prices in the 0 - 1,000 mile band.

Singapore - Hong Kong / Taipei (SQ or EVA) Around 3 hours, generally in proper long-haul business seats, for 30k points in business.

Tokyo - Taipei / Seoul - Taipei (ANA / EVA / Asiana) Another set of ~2 - 3 hour hops where you can be lying flat up front for 30k points instead of paying cash prices that can easily be north of $600 - $800 one-way in business.

Bangkok - Tokyo / Seoul - Singapore Longer routes start dipping into the 2,001 - 5,000 mile band at 45k in business, still very strong compared to typical cash fares.

The bottom line: If you've got Aeroplan points and Asia on your radar, don't waste them on economy. Short and medium-haul lie-flat segments for 20 - 30k are one of the most satisfying ways to burn this currency.

That's it for today. More deals and strategies coming your way on Friday.

Catch you in the clouds,
Tomi