I regularly use a travel agent who was a former sales rep for one of the major carriers.

Some of his best customers always purchase first class tickets, and oftentimes can't be bothered with SWUs so they give them to him and he helps out with upgrades for other good customers, like yours truly.

He always has a drawerful of discount certificates for air and hotel. When encountering problems with capacity controls for upgrades and award tickets, on many occasions his former colleagues in inventory control have been able to open up one or two more seats for me.

If I am unable to upgrade, he provides me with drink coupons. If another travel agency has a contract fare which is cheaper than what he is able to offer, he will go to that agency and, with my approval, go ahead and purchase it.

If I am on the road and subsequent flights are cancelled, he will call the carrier's help line and do everything possible to ensure that I am protected even if it means booking a seat on another carrier, with upgrades intact most of the time. He then faxes my new itinerary to my hotel.

I will forego all the on-line bonuses for the services that this travel agent provides.