Another thing to consider: airlines sell their miles at astronomical rates, so don't use those to "value" your miles. $82.50 for 3000 miles? Unless you have 117,000 miles in your account and want a 120K award on a flight that is taking off in 3 hours, you probably aren't going to do this. It's certainly fair to estimate your time spent on e-Rewards vs. the reward obtained, but be at least somewhat realistic on the value of your miles. (Hey! Aren't we overdue for another How Much Are My Miles Worth thread? )