USAir/Star Alliance not any better, at least to and from Europe for TUT for me. They have just upped the ante to get award seats. Started awhile ago, agent told me US can't "talk" to Lufthansa on computer, which also flies there. Now, no seats available in either class for "low peak". Anything I could get would be 250-350K miles. Don't have that many!
Dooley, FDV is one other person I was telling you about who paid mega-points for flights for SAMBA