I needed 25,000 more miles for 2 Delta rts I had already reserved with FF miles to Hawaii in Dec., so I flew DL for a while. I usually go with cheapest price, but since RDU is not a hub for the majors, I can choose from all the majors and SW, along with Midway. I'm sure 4th quarter choices are more biased toward the carriers when near an elite level, then price and convenience become less of a factor!!!