I need to fly to Europe at least four times a year to visit my son. This has been going on for thirteen years now, and I've gradually gone from redeeming miles only for economy tickets to redeeming for business. As I've tasted the benefits of flying up front, I've grown to value them more. I wouldn't pay $3000 to fly business class to Europe, but if a $1700 or less offer came up, I'd definitely pay that. I enjoy flying, even in coach, but to me the front is so much more enjoyable. Since the miles have come so easily in recent years, I feel it foolish to use them for anything but business class. All my travel is on my own dime, by the way.

From a practical point of view, if I redeemed only for coach, making twice the number of trips on miles, I'd not have a chance of making the upper level of elite, the benefits of which I've come to appreciate. This year I'm using miles to fly C to Europe and C to SE Asia, but I'll still make Plat by astute use of promotions.

My limit on travel is not money or miles, but time. Because of mandatory furloughs and a 95%-time appointment, I now get over eight weeks off per fiscal year, but I used it all up within ten months this fiscal year. I do enjoy traveling.

When I first started on Flyertalk, there was a poster called Trvl4free, or something like that. He or she would use all the tricks to travel for virtually nothing. I can't come near that yet, but I hope that once I retire I can try to emulate that. Up front if I can swing it.