Airlines hate the spontaneous.  Need to fly last minute to an engagement party, for a business meeting, or even for a funeral (G-d forbid) and they’ll charge you up the wazoo. A last minute trip nonstop between Cleveland and NYC, say from 01/09-01/10, is $1,172.  I used 9,000 BA Avios (7,000 AMEX, or 13 cents [...]