I had horded some 112,000 miles (my wife has 36,000 miles as well) to used for emergencies and special deals. I am presently in Maine (live in Nebraska) because my mother is in the hospital. Flying with an Awards ticket means I can change my return date without penality. So far, I have changed it twice.

I also use it for an annual ticket for my father in law. He visits us for 60-90 days each year. All airline special deals are limited to 30 days. If I did not use an Awards ticket, we would pay the long price for his ticket.