The average American who wants to travel this year is budgeting about $8,400, which is a lot more than last year.

But that’s not because we want to spend that much. It’s because we’re expecting to spend that much.

As a result, a lot of you would like to use your frequent flyer miles to save on airfare and your frequent stay points to save on hotel bills.

But many of the loyalty rewards programs have changed, and the airlines and hotels seem to be devaluing them.

With the recent purchase of Starwood by Marriott, questions remain about the value of a new combined frequent stay program.

For the moment, JetBlue and Southwest have the most generous frequent flyer programs.

Delta and Jet Blue are the only two major airlines whose miles do not expire because of inactivity.

But be careful. Spirit and Frontier Airlines miles expire after just three and six months of inactivity, respectively.

At this point, it makes no sense to bank your miles or points. They are only decreasing in value.

So if you’re planning a trip soon, don’t just pick Paris or Hawaii to redeem your miles. Everyone else is doing that.

Pick a place you’ve never been—one that’s not even on your list—and go now, before your miles and points are worth even less.

For more information about mileage and rewards programs, check out:

• Another Airline Changes Its Frequent Flyer Miles Program
• It’s Getting Easier to Use Your Miles to Buy One Way Tickets
• Would You Pay $2500 to Keep Your Airline Status?

Keep reading for more travel tips.