Perhaps a helpful moderator will change the spelling in the thread topic title to "conniving"?

While I can empathize with the do-it-yourselfers who like to get the most bang for their charitable buck, it seems those with actual experience on the back end of these deals acknowledge their value. See Posts #6 & #8, supra.

I have grave reservations about the honesty and integrity of NW, due to the loss of 10,000 miles each for three in-laws during the Fly Free Faster 3 promo resulting from failure of a WorldPerks Mall (Old Navy) transaction they each made. However, no one lies and cheats all the time.

If it were truly a scam, I'm sure regulatory authorities would be on top of it. Of course, some airlines do have better reputations for candor than others.