while it may sound stupid, me in college can afford an annual fee for a credit card once a year but generally not a 300-400 plane ticket, so although it may not be a great idea I bank the miles until I need them. My family just moved to tenessee, so generally my parents will pay for my ticket, but when I want to suprise them or they don't have the extra cash to fly me and I really want to go see them but don't have the cash myself I use my pts, even if 25,000 pts only equals a 308 dollar ticket, that's 308 bux I didn't have that I now am able to go see my rents and my little brother. So for me it is a little different game, but still out to earn as many as possible, but most pts earned are through CCs.