A few months ago I noticed some interesting things about NWA award flights to Bangkok. I had thought that there would be no more 60k flights (due to reduced capacity with the A330, etc.) but, I find quite a bit of availability (as a gold elite) over the past 4 months and in the future as well. BUT...one big caveat. At least from the Wash. DC area, based on thousands of searches over the past 4 months or more, the has not been ONE RT 60k flight that returns to DC before 10pm (and most of the 60k RT flights return at about 11pm OR the NEXT MORNING). Those late arrivals are not for me at all. In the past, there were always returns at between 3pm and 8pm. Now, the only way to get one of those earlier returns is with a Rulebuster (return), making it 90k. It's actually pretty easy to get those. My dilemma now is: Should I just resign myself to paying 90k from now on, with the idea that that's probably what other airlines are going to start charging in the not too distant future, and thus stay with NWA and accumulate more and more miles to use toward those 90k purchases. Or, switch to another airline like United which flies out of IAD (my preferred airport) (though united is more likely to go bankrupt(?).....Anyway, 90k seems like a lot of miles. But money-tickets, for trips to bangkok over 30 days, are all around $1300 on NWA (but under 30-day tickets are still easy to get for about 850). I'm almost tempted to take a few of those $850 runs, to build up miles for free 90k tickets. One other issue is: I was hoping to use my accumulated miles for award tickets to mex. city. But although there are plenty of award flights available (including on delta and contin.), for 35k, the depart. times are always around 6 am. and return at 11pm. Uhg....So i'm finding little use for award flights to mex. So, i guess i'm in dilemma about whether its worth continuing to accumulate miles in this case.