The minute your miles start costing you something, you've lost the equation.

No one should ever be doing anything goofy to get a mile, ... [Flyers] shouldn't be charging on an airline credit card that's charging them 14 or 15 percent interest, or 20 percent interest, because you can never win that game.

It's endless. You get nothing free anymore. If you call instead of use a Web site, you pay $10 to $50 extra. If you want a paper ticket, you pay up to $75 for the privilege.

Given the current situation, where airlines, some of them in bankruptcy, are dropping and changing routes, you simply need to assume they forgot to call you if an itinerary changed or got canceled. Don't assume they'll take care of you if they do change the schedule, and don't assume that what you booked, especially on an award ticket, is what you will actually fly. It's a difficult time for airlines, and that makes it a difficult time for travelers.

I just wish there were more of them. I don't have to use them if I don't want to, and I'm thrilled to pay a guy to tote my bags -- or help me cut in line at check-in.

I just wish there were more of them, ... I don't have to use them if I don't want to, and I'm thrilled to pay a guy to tote my bags -- or help me cut in line at check-in.