logicpurveyor
your words ring true yet again...
I did find that some of the links on many sites having tips on airlines miles and gigs are not always updated or working. I once did one using mileageworkshop for delta and something called vehiclesonline and it took about 3 months to get anything. I finally wrote a big letter to delta telling them to watch out for others putting stuff up about them that is not legit.
As for some of these sites, however, they are not selling anything, so why not give em a go if they can get you miles too! BUT yeah, shameless plugs sometimes turn me off too.
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If speed is not your thing, distance may as well be. Enjoy and embrace it all!