indeed... sadly, that is so true, aint it?

Hence, plan 2:

maintain all my accounts in such a way where the bal's are always at award levels I can redeem (for example, if 50k is econ to Europe, have 50k, not 48,751 or something like that.)

be aware and ready and when the run on the bank to transfer points or redeem comes up, take it when you must (like when the United===>Hilton so abruptly left us...)

then re-tool all thinking on that particular miles or points program, cancel any cards and ties to it, end relationships being done with it that may have otherwise continued to grow... If I have the AA Master Card, I would then think twice about keeping it active. I would close the account, pay off the final bal and move to another source of points and miles yeilding activity.

Cards like AA MC would lose customers, thereby losing business, thereby feeling threatened to change even more or maybe even go under, and other ones would gain business. AA MC would offer new loyalty incentives if it could and if not, the whole shooting match begins to erode and somehow the industry is able to pull off the end of all things loyalty rewards programs! But it is unlikely it will take place because they'd all have to collectively cooperate at the same time.

Either way, my advice is to get out now, as soon as you can, or be ready to at as close to a moment's notice as freakin' possible--if only to not give anyone the satisfaction that you had, say, 3,000 points or miles left over unused somewhere!

That is how I live my miles life. The only other thing that currently gives me the same kind of willies and makes me live as if I am constantly hanging in the balance even for a short period is watching the Boston Red Sox take on the Yankees next week should they sweep tonight and the Yankees win 2 more as well. I mean, we could beat 'em this time but I think I will be calling in sick a few times next week because I will be too frazzeled at the office anyway. Oct 17, 2003 and the days that followed were very dark, dark times indeed. I felt like I had just lost hundreds of thousands of miles! Fortunately the Patriots won again and winter time is ski season. This was kind of like getting a brand new Starwood card in the mail with a sweet 10K start up bonus offer, and then some!

MM