( CNN ) It 's amazing what ( literal ) lengths some people will go to earn frequent flier miles . Take Ben Schlappig . Over his lifetime , he 's accrued about four million miles . Half of those , he estimates , were earned on `` mile runs '' -- trips taken for the sole purpose of earning points . Recently , he completed a dizzying , non-stop trip ( London-New York-Los Angeles-Honolulu-Los Angeles-London-Miami-London-Los Angeles-London ) that would set most people 's heads spinning . It took four days ( three of which were spent almost completely on a plane ) , and he accrued 270,000 miles . He admits that the journey was exhausting , but ultimately worth it . `` To put it into some kind of perspective , it 's enough miles for two first-class tickets between the U.S. and Asia , '' he notes . `` If I would have paid cash for them , they would have each cost me over $ 20,000 . '' December -- which marks the last opportunity for many frequent fliers to earn enough to gain ( or maintain ) their elite statuses -- is mile-run season . In the past , the trick was looking for a cheap ticket that went the distance , as miles earned were calculated by , well , miles flown . This year , that is all set to change . `` In 33 years of frequent flier programs , this is the year of the biggest changes ever , '' says Randy Petersen , founder of the online travel forum FlyerTalk and CEO of Frequent Flyer Services , which offers guidance to road warriors the world over . `` Some of the world 's largest frequent flier programs are going to a revenue model , '' he explains , noting that come this year , many programs will start awarding members based on how much they spend , not how far they fly . Air New Zealand started the trend when it introduced Airpoint Dollars in 2004 . Other airlines have followed suit over the years , such as Virgin Australia , JetBlue and Southwest ( the latter -- which awards members 10 points for every dollar spent -- has one of the most popular frequent flier programs in the U.S. ) . Starting this month , both Delta and United shifted to a completely revenue-based system of calculating miles earned . Petersen predicts it 's only a matter of time before the European carriers follow suit . `` They may say they wo n't , because they do n't want to upset things , but these ( carriers ) are part of alliances . Over the next two years , I think you 'll start to see revenue-based frequent flier programs tremble out through the rest of the airline industry . '' Petersen notes there 's also been a shift in hotel awards programs . `` A lot of hotel programs are changing what it costs per night come January . If you 're planning on redeeming hotel rooms later this year , do it now . Get the redemptions at lower prices , '' he advises . As for points earned and spent on plane tickets , there 's little to be done but to accept airlines ' change in policy . `` It 's too late for you to do anything . But here 's what you do n't do . Do not buy a more expensive ticket to earn miles . You 'd be playing into what the airlines want . It 's okay to earn fewer miles on a cheap ticket , because you 'll still be able to find cheap awards out there , '' he says . More : Do frequent flier programs breed loyalty ?
'Mile runners ' take trips just to get frequent flier points . Ben Schlappig traveled 270,000 miles in four days . Many airlines are changing their reward systems to make it harder .