To each his or her own, but if I missed MVP or especially MVPG by less than 3,000 miles, I think I would be sick to my stomach.....my whole plan about where to fly during the year is at least partly based on the # of miles I need to earn whatever status I'm trying to get so ending up short is never an option....and given that this is FLYERtalk, I would always get on plane before I would just buy the miles. Seriously, PDX-JFK has been down to $99 one-way lately...there is over 2,000 EQMs right there.