Using frequent flier miles? Prepare to be treated like scum

This year, I swore that I would give the airlines as little money as possible. It wasn't just a matter of my being annoyed by the gradual advance of extra charges, which told me that the major carriers had given up even a pretense at respecting me. It was also a simple matter of money. I had lots of frequent flier miles available, so I decided to milk those before depleting my income.

American Airlines just loosened its redemption policy to allow for one-way bookings, making them a much stronger value for everyone. Isn't that nice? It doesn't mean the airlines like you more.