I guess the question for me, when it comes to miles and points, is: if the airlines didn't give miles, or if the hotels didn't give points for free stays, would the price of flights or rooms go down? Do they really "factor in" the cost of awards into the prices we pay, or into business as a whole? You'd think the answer would be yes...

Because if we pay for the miles anyway, even a fraction of their "true" value (whatever that is), then they're certainly not free. But if awards suddenly went away and prices didn't budge, well, then they are free.