Save up your miles and use them for international business class travel...over the past five years, I have taken my wife and kids business class to Australia ($6,500+ tickets) for 95K miles each, first class to Hawaii ($3,500+ tickets) for 60K miles each, and Ireland ($4,500+ tickets) for 80K miles each. When traveling in the continental U.S., one can always find trips with Sat. night stays for <$300 each, so it makes no sense to use miles.