According to economist Allison Schrager, an ardent points collector, there is strategy to getting the best return when spending those airline miles. Rather than spending the points on domestic flights which tend to be short enough to forego an upgrade and cheap enough to purchase out of pocket, the best solution is to save the points for longer overseas trips and for upgrades. Traveling business class internationally would cost thousands, but saving points on domestic flights means that they can be used where it counts. She also recommends spending time to shop around for the cheapest flights and most economical routes to conserve points when traveling.
