to airline royalty programs. the famed frequent flier points. gary has travel tips for the new year. bloger for view from the wing and co-founder of the mile high frequent flier program. are we at the point where the airline cut back on the program and you might as well by the cheapest ticket and head out? >> you have two things. while the programs themselves are less generous it makes sense. planes are generally full and the airlines are doing well and don't need to spend as much on marketing these days. i think the advice is the same as before. unless you are someone who travels a lot, 25,000 miles a year or more, where you can earn status and be treated better, by the ticket based on schedule and