I was doing some research on this stuff and am trying to plan out a trip next year in which I would like to use points to pay for chunks of. Am I correct in learning through my online research that, even though theyre called miles, they work nothing like miles for any of these cards? Theyre all pretty much part of a points system?
yes.
example... 25,000 american airlines miles will get you roundtrip anywhere in continental usa, just like a certain number of priority club or starwood points will get get you a certain hotel, etc. there are only so many seats designated for reward points/miles though, so depending on where you are going, you might have to book pretty far in advance.
another example....wife wants to go to ny this fall. still plenty of oppys for her to do this out of mhk via aa. if she wanted to go somewhere else, maybe not. it's very city to city and day dependant. you can search for what is available. people who are in a good position to take advantage of this (a pretty insidery aa joke
) and don't are pretty dumb. dumb, dumb, dumb.