I hear you all on this issue. My sister-in-law wanted to have us meet in Yellowstone this summer but I could not find any available award to JAC. I have the miles. Yes, I could probably try SLC or DEN (probably no luck either though), but why should I waste hours accomodating a flight just to use miles.

The latest CSR told me to write NW online to complain. I did that, no response yet, but I think we have a legitimate complaint. And I will never use double the miles, that is absurd. If the local station sold gas and advertised $1.50 a gallon but 90% of the time you went to buy they told you that today it would be $3, would you just accept that it is $3 today? It is not like they share with you any rhyme or reason as to why the award is unavailable - 90% of the plane could be empty.

These programs is one thing these major carriers have over the discount ones, in that you can earn a lot of miles for international or first class trips, but at the rate they are going, I am less and less interested in miles. In fact I have switched from NW visa as a primary spending card to SPG Amex. The main reason? If I want a hotel in Milan on May 1, I call them and ask for it and get it. No capacity controls. With the airlines, I will end up spending all night on the phone in frustration after having to change the dates 100 times, that is, if I get any luck at all. Yes I can convert SPG points to miles and may sometime, but for the most part, I cannot get an air award easily enough to bother making a transfer at this time unless I book the air award 9 months in advance and have alternate dates.