My response is that if you have the time and resources, you can do both. Since I have my status locked for 2002, I've taken advantage of the empty seat situation over the past month and a half to book some nice seats on award tickets. At the same time, I booked five paid trips going into next spring that will replenish the miles at fabulous fare sale prices. I also booked hotel rooms at favorable rates. It would have been a greater chore (maybe impossible for me, without great sacrifices) to afford what I bought -- and I would not have been able to book what I did on award travel -- without the confluence of events that has occurred. Simply put, there are opportunities on both sides of the ledger and frankly, the situation is going to be unsustainable over the longer term. So my advice would be to make your choices now and then hope for the best. Better times for travel will mean an end to the rare opportunities that have surfaced of late. We need that to happen, but I don't want to be kicking myself for not having made use of this very strange period of time.