I agree, PAXboy. I have bmi Destinations Miles and BA Miles which, frankly, are not worth using on short-haul routes. I think the fact that airlines charge so much for customers to redeem their miles is one reason why some are not willing to consolidate fuel surcharges into basic ticket prices. It has not always been this way. I remember making several completely free trips in the past from Stansted to Amsterdam on klmuk using Flying Dutchman miles.
(P.S. Aren't Airmiles redemptions now inclusive of taxes, fees and charges? I don't collect them so I do not know.)