When Life is Up in the Air

George Clooney plays a corporate ax man in the recent film Up in the Air. His character jets around the country conducting layoffs for companies and racking up frequent flyer miles in the process. But what would happen if a business traveler extraordinaire found himself the victim of corporate downsizing?

Meet former corporate development manager Jim Kennedy. This 46-year-old California resident lost his job – and his six-figure salary – over a year and a half ago. Kennedy later went bankrupt and fell victim to foreclosure. He now lives out of hotels, paying for rooms with the 1 million-plus airline and hotel points he accumulated while employed.