I think that the writer is missing a very important point. Even if he chooses the cheapest carrier, he is essentially throwing away free goods. It may take longer, but he will still earn free flights. Many of us choose to track FF miles and don't try to take multiple stop routes to destinations. This doesn't make us stupid, it makes us smart consumers.

I also had to laugh at his assertion "I am not sure how to redeem them, don’t know that there’s anything I want to get anyway, and so the points add up, month after month." So, he's spending $75 a year and has no idea how to redeem these pionts? Puh-lease! He might want to look a the catalog they send every few months.