I’m back on dry land once again – and this time, for a good while. I’m back from Charlotte, North Carolina, where I had the particular honor of being the celebrity color analyst for the UARA-STARS event at Hickory Motor Speedway! It was great to meet so many fellow race fans who are happy to travel across the United States to follow their favorite sport. I can’t wait to do it again very soon!

This time, my flights were mixed as a proposition of economy. As a result, I did not gain a whole lot of miles towards my gold status challenge and all the free cheese I can eat at the airline lounge. But the flight itself was $100 cheaper than my preferred flight. In this situation, I’ll trade economy for miles.

One would think that it would bother me that I’m not earning miles in my favorite travel programs. While I always try to plan my travels around my preferred airline partners (with an eye to avoiding trip delay and trip cancellation), in this case I was less concerned. With the recent announcements that major air carriers be changing their elite status qualification to also consider spend with the airline (or on branded credit cards) starting next year, my planning has been changed.

I don't disagree about the logic behind this change is being put in place in order to make sure people don’t abuse the system, and to ensure that high-value customers to the airline are getting the most for their loyalty. But for the casual traveler, it now becomes harder to earn rewards for my travels – unless I plan my travels exclusively around a particular carrier. And even in that case, I have to either consider minimum spend on a branded credit card, or purchasing fares on an exclusive carrier, or some combination of both – even if they aren’t the most economic.

As much as I like certain carriers over others, I have to look at making the most of my dollar, especially when considering economy travel. So starting in 2014, my preference is going to lean towards economy over loyalty – in both points and spend. To make the most of my travels, it’s now time to think outside the box. Looking at 2014, my strategies will change as follows:

1) Alternate Programs for Qualification
So I might not directly qualify for elite benefits across the four major national airlines in the United States. But through different programs, alliances, and code sharing, I can make sure the miles I do fly add up to something. For instance: as I’ve written before, I can earn Aegean Airlines miles on any Star Alliance flight, and have Star Alliance Gold status once I’ve hit the threshold – giving me more free bags and special airline lounge access (though the downside is that those miles might not be good for a whole lot). And while I might not fly on Delta and American often, I can collect miles on Alaska Airlines across both of them, and redeem for flights and earn status at a later date.

2) Alternate Points Programs to Earn (and Burn) In
Depending on your travel habits and preferences, collecting airline miles may not be the best proposition. In some cases, earning points on credit card programs may be a better proposition, as those can be turned into free travel across many air carriers, rental cars or ground transfers, and even cash back. And many cards offer bonus rewards for purchasing travel on their cards. If you’re not particular about an airline, or hold value in another program, this could be a better return for you.

3) Alternate Ways to Get Benefits
Although status is starting to get just out of my reach, it doesn’t mean that I can’t travel like an elite. With credit card programs, I am able to usually get lounge access (with a one-day pass, or more regular access with certain partners), priority boarding, and at least a free bag checked to my destination. If credit card programs don’t interest you, then consider some other alternatives, like purchasing priority boarding at the kiosk, or finding alternate ways to get lounge passes online. One instance is when I got a day pass to the American Airlines lounge via Klout earlier this year!

My thanks go out to Tony and everybody at UARA for hosting me this weekend at Hickory Motor Speedway. It was a definitely an experience I won’t forget anytime soon! And, like everywhere I go, I learn just a little bit more about how to make travel work out the best for me. Have you ever taken a trip with plans that were less than ideal? How did you make it work? Leave me a comment below – I’d really enjoy to hear how you made it work!