Originally Posted by
beachmouse
I'm just jealous of the nice redemption options you get with so many other FF programs compared to DL. But the only (and very limited) United and AA flights out of my wee airport only connect through Texas, and I'm not jealous enough to go significantly west in order to then go back east or due north from VPS.
So DL and Satan's commuter airline ASA it is for sheer convenience in other ways, and maybe someday I can get lucky like your friend.
You may need to change your mind set because of your locale.
Given it is an airport that is NOT well-served, you would most likely need to make position flight OUTSIDE award redemption in order to open up your options. A bus ride may even work. Many people I know use bus and train in the NE region to get them to the hubs - more economical than those expensive short hops.