I have just given up on my sixth attempt to book a flight - over the past nine months - using Avios. I have failed to book with Avios and also failed in my attempts to pay and upgrade with points. To be fair, I live in the USA and not the UK, but I have repeatedly attempted to book 6-8 weeks in advance, to no avail.

I have 300,000+ Avios that I would GLADLY trade for slap in the head with a wet sock. They truly have no value to this States-side member.

Ok, now that my rant is over, I'd love to hear about how other USA members have been successful booking travel using Avios. I do know that such an experience as mine is limited to an unfortunate few, given that I am an experienced flyer.

Eager for suggestions on how to use (or lose) these points.