sign up for DM platinum visa (link on US website). you get 7000 bonus miles after first purchase. do this, and spend 1k (or whatever), and you will have 20k which is good for a free off-peak domestic ticket on US. there is an annual fee of $75 (or something like that), but if you cancel shortly after getting the miles you need (which shouldn't take more than a month or 2) you may be able to get a prorata share of that back. even if you don't, it's still a cheap price for a free ticket.