After a few years of leaving my pilot licence lay dormant, I just completed my FAA physical and entered update training. Since SM might become more or less useless in the future, I am cranking up this option for flights of up to 600 miles or so.
Between "all change in Atlanta", inability to make the Award Calendar work without enduring the equivalent of a root canal without Novocain, FCM, TSA lines and whatever might arise in the future at Delta, I figure flying myself and family in relative comfort has got to be better even if I have to forgo a drink or two before or during the flight.
Next time you see a Piper airplane puttering below you, just figure I am down there earning some x3skier miles that can be redeemed at low miles with no restriction on a calendar of my own design that really really works.
Cheers