There are bloggers who use the technique of sensationalist journalism to attract readers--all with a view of sucking them in and getting them to click on the credit card referrals. Promoting "Free Travel" isn't always "free". The miles and points game does require self-discipline, good budgeting skills and lots of time and sometimes a gamble of money. You gamble if the airline is still going to be around when you want to redeem your points or won't merge with an airline that has less attractive redemptions or get kicked out of their alliance. There are no guarantees in this game and you have to be prepared to take the risks.

One could argue that the credit card bonuses are "free" and they can be IF you pay your bill off in full every month and don't accrue interest, if you don't mess up your credit score so you can't finance a house or car when you need one and don't get over your head into debt. Of course by the time you are hopelessly in debt, the blogger has taken their commission and is laughing all the way to the bank. These things need to be carefully thought through and not done on impulse.

There are other ways to get cheap hotels besides the miles and points games and if your travel profile is mostly domestic USA for leisure or family trips to see grandma, you are probably better off with Priceline. People are getting everything from Days Inn to Marriott and you can choose what level you bid on. http://biddingfortravel.yuku.com/for...s#.T675u9lRySo

If some people crunch the numbers especially on domestic USA trips, they will probably find that they are better off buying the the cheapest ticket on Expedia and using the UR mall or a cash-back card to do so.

Where some bloggers are failing both their readers and the FTers who do know how to play the game well is that they fail to point these out and have blown miles and points up to a level that can't be sustained by the average person. If you want to travel during holiday/peak periods, unless you can plan almost a year in advance, you will probably end up having to pay for your ticket as FF availability won't be there.

Rome wasn't built in a day and neither was the collective wisdom on FT yet there are people who want everything handed to them on a silver platter but only a few will ever go on to the level of expertise that truly maximizes the value of miles and points--and the ones who do will be the ones that stick around and put time and effort into learning everything for themselves.