Efrem, my personal experience contradicts yours. I had an Old Kent Visa which had a program where you got a certificate for each $5000 charged to the card. You could use the certificate to get $100 off any published airfare, or you could combine four certificates to get an advance purchase RT ticket with Sat night stay in 48 US states. You had to go through their travel agent, but there were no blackout dates and if the airline had an open seat which they were selling you would get it. And the "free" ticket also qualified for frequent flier miles. It was a really good program, but it has been discontinued by Old Kent Bank.