Take it from a pro

Traveler: Ray Intreglia, corporate division leader and senior corporate travel specialist for Preferred Travel of Naples.

Itinerary: In his professional capacity, Intreglia manages the annual travel plans for several hundred executives. A former flight attendant, Intreglia also enjoys traveling, too.

Fewer upgrades: Using frequent-flier points to score business-class seats or first-class upgrades is getting harder because airlines want to sell those seats for full price. Intreglia says he cringes when people say they want to use points because those seats are getting harder to get. His advice is to have a flexible schedule when using points.