Nicki at AwardPlanner scored a complex YVR-HKG-SYD itinerary in CX J for me and my family using BAEC miles.

She organized a conference call with me and the BAEC agent to double-check that the flights and dates were acceptable. When the dopey agent misspelled my name on the itinerary (and I had a minor heart attack because I know BAEC treats awards as absolutely unalterable after booking, and I find their agents to be very unskilled communicators), Nicki got back on with BAEC and straightened it out. A couple of months after making the booking she got the CX seat assignments we wanted and set up Australian visas for the family. And she got me a Hilton award in SYD that I couldn't shake loose on the website.

All for $39.95 -- which is what Randy was charging for a one-trip consult last year. As I told Nicki sincerely, they could've charged $399, not $39, and I would still have found it reasonable.

$100 for a year's worth of consults is a huge bargain, I think, even if you only have one big trip annually.