Are you a hoarder of miles and points?

Fair point! I should have said that I have this problem even after accounting for awards that I gift. Maybe I just need more friends.

I think I still have some paper air-script laying around somewhere. They were pretty much useless even when they were first issued.

I am saving miles as part of my retirement package.... Hotel points I use where rates are high (NYC) or the exchange rate makes them expensive.

I do use miles as gifts. 2 domestic tickets to a destination of their choice as wedding gifts to nieces/nephews. Or milestone birthday gifts to good friends.

Those are collectors items.

Anyhow, I used to hoard miles thinking that I could go somewhere exotic with them, but that it not the case as DL wants 180k for a PVD-SXM. But, if I start burning them, then that will feed into the devaluation process--which will further devalue the remaining stock.

...it is like a catch-22

I have the 100 Trillion Zimbabwe Dollar note, it cost me about $1.50 including postage.

Oooh, me likey. I collect paper currency. How would I get one?

You could go to HRE to pick one up, which would be a good mileage burning opportunity.

OK. How could I get one WITHOUT going there?

That I can't help you with. Also, that would be unfortunate that you do not want to go to HRE. It is a lovely place.

Try here

http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=m570&_nkw=zimbabwe&_sacat=See-All-Categories

It's not a question of not wanting to go, it's available time.

There is always time to go to HRE. I'm sure Mugabe will be more than willing to make it so you can spend your US dollars here.

My time in the UK at the top of this gravity well is limited, so I earn, earn, earn in programmes that aren't going to expire (the miles or the programme) any time soon. When I return to Australia where there are fewer carriers, less competition, higher prices and longer distances, I'll burn them for whatever they're worth then.

Not me, I use them up fairly quickly because otherwise, what's the point?

I am now a heavy mile spender

I have to admit that I am a bit of a hoarder right now. It is cool to see over a half million in the account, but I really want to get some "aspirational" trips in F booked very soon. Sad part is that I have time to acquire the miles but not enough time to do the research to book the great premium rewards. I guess I could put in a shameless plug here for gleff, since I'll likely be using his "expertise" in getting some of those trips .

I would qualify as a hoarder. I've just started the game and managed to save up a ton from various promos and bonus offers. While I'm reluctant to spend them I'm already planning a big trip this year. I imagine my miles will be depleted quickly once I get a taste of premium reward travel.

We do a 2-3 year (leisure) travel "master plan" that involves annual cycles of accumulating and spending miles. Year 1 we'll bank a bunch of miles (usually using a business class RTW which also allows me to maintain elite-enough status for 100% mileage bonuses to keep coming) then in year 2 we'll burn miles. Year 3 = year 1, and so on. I try to keep around a one-year supply of miles on hand for emergency/unexpected/gift trips, but that hasn't been so hard. Works for us, anyway.

I found it difficult to save cash as I could be spending it on travel, now I use BankDirect so my "interest" earned is more mileage based, I'm having no issues at all curtailing spend. However my hold up on burning them is my lack of PTO & not having a decent pet sitter.

How many miles do you earn, say, per year? And how many by just being on a plane vs. partner spend? It will let us know what to shoot for!

I don't consider redemptions painful....I consider them a reward for:
1) all of the times I had to travel (on business) when I didn't particularly want to
2) the nights spent away from home when I would have preferred to have been home, and
3) for my time and effort in sniffing out the special deals that helped me get those airline miles and hotel points in the first place!

I recently emptied out a good bit of my Marriott Rewards account....but in December I'll have 5 free nights in an oceanside room at JW Marriott Phuket....not a day goes by that I don't think of the fun I'll have when I'm there...and its the miles and points that make the good times possible.

Yup....just like I hoard the best steaks in the freezer and the dark chocolate we brought back from Europe.

Another "earn and burn" person here. Life is just too unpredictable and I still remember losing about 30k when Ansett went bust.

No hoarding, as you simply do not know what the airlines are going to do to their programs!

I'd like to hoard but I have a family. Who are more like vultures. So as soon as I get the balances anywhere near a respectable level, boom, some clever person decides we need to fly someone somewhere.