My plans for 2003 are as follows. My travel profile is about 20k-30k paid miles per year, 30-40 hotel nights, about two-thirds personal, one-third business.
(1) Reach 1M lifetime AA miles. I should pass this mark by late 2003.
(2) Continue to give AA nearly all of my air travel business for two reasons: (a) their customer service is a notch better than their competition (they get a "C" in my book; everybody else gets a "D" or an "F"), and (b) MRTC is the most beautiful thing in the world for those of us who don't spend every segment up front.
(3) Redeem nearly all UA and US miles. I will spend about a quarter of a million miles in 2003 from these two programs. I'm not taking trips I wouldn't ordinarily want to take anyway, but I'm going out of my way to use these airlines and their partners for award travel. Then my only concern with these two airlines will be how they burden my mutual funds.
(4) Cease aggressive participation in hotel programs. Key word here is "aggressive": until recently, I have been an avid hoarder of Marriott and HHonors points, willing to pay higher-than-Priceline rates on leisure stays and stay in less-than-optimal properties on business stays just to accrue the points. In 2003, I will no longer do that. Where Priceline is not a suitable option, I will continue to participate in the programs, but I will spend more time understanding the near-term promotions (i.e., Take 2, FFN, etc.) and which properties I actually *want* to stay at, and less time worrying about earning hotel points. The result is that I will probably begin to earn some SPG and HY points along with MR and HH, but I will never again pursue an ALOA or MR 713 type award.
(5) Redeem a GLONP and a MR 087 as part of a 3-week vacation in late 2003. Same trip that will blow through those UA miles...
(6) Switch from the Citibank AA Mastercard to the Rapid Rewards Visa after I cross the Lifetime Gold level, earning Southwest roundtrips after every $16,000 spent - certificates that can be legally sold (for about $320), traded, or given to anyone.