5 of the weirdest things you can (but shouldn't) get with your airline miles

It doesn't take a frequent flier to know the importance of airline miles and how to calculate the elaborate equations that allow you to cash them in for the best possible perks. But the IdeaWorks Company knows that some people want to score something other than an early morning flight to Akron, so it has examined the rewards program of 220 different airlines (well, actually only 160 of them offer benefits to repeat customers) to find some of the more unusual and unexpected offerings. So if you have some miles burning a virtual hole in your digital pocket, here are five of the weirdest things you can get:

1. The experts say that you're not supposed to cash your miles in for merch, like iPads or electronics, but what about products that you really can't get in stores, like a set of airline seats, for example? If you have 747,000 miles with All Nippon Airways, you could bring the discomfort of air travel into your own home, with a pair of seats from a 747. (A $6,288 value.) For the full airline experience, you can install them roughly eight inches from an immovable wall (the Bulkhead At Home option) and have your loved ones bring you cold-in-the-center meals in cardboard trays.

2. Vacations and far-flung destinations seem to be a popular choice for marriage proposals (not that I have any personal experience. The last time I said 'I do,' it was because the Chipotle guy asked if I wanted extra guac). But if you'd rather just pop the question at 15,000 feet, El Al offers an in-flight marriage proposal kit. For $60 and 120 points, they'll bring champagne and chocolates to the deliriously happy couple, as well as a discount on duty free goods, in case you want to pick up some celebratory cigarettes. The real selling point, though, might be the "official certificate from the El Al family of employees to recognize the event." Do you even need a ring if you have one of those?

3. If you've always wanted to pretend to fly a plane but haven't heard of Xbox games, EVA Air offers a Flight Simulator Experience for 100,000 miles (they don't offer it for sale, claiming that it's priceless. That description is priceless). The 90-minute hands-on session in the airline's own flight simulator is only available to the most elite fliers — those with "with diamond or gold status in the Infinity MileageLands program." If you don't want to blow your whole mileage budget, you could just spend 4,000 miles and get a copy of Virgin Australia's "How to Land a Jumbo Jet" book. Either way, you're probably not going to be called to sit in the co-pilot's seat.

4. The marketing geniuses at Avianca must realize that there's nothing harder to find in New York City than a pizza place. They seem to think that pizza joints are hidden in Narnia instead of literally every fifteen feet, because they're offering a "Pizza Walking Tour" of New York that costs a very specific 5,803 miles. IdeaWorks says that Avianca promises that you'll "enjoy slices of pizza from three local pizzerias and learn a little history while walking through historic Manhattan neighborhoods such as Little Italy, Greenwich Village, SoHo and the Lower East Side." Perfect, because who knows more about good food than an airline?

5. Air New Zealand allows Airpoints Dollars to be spent in its own retail store. Where else could you blow 145 Airpoints Dollars on a replica of Gandalf's Magical Silver Scarf. IdeaWorks doesn't elaborate on what other items Air New Zealand offers in its "Totally Kiwiana" section (those are words no adult will ever say out loud), but I like to think it offers Hobbit-style hair removal for your feet or My Precious-brand jewelry cleaner.

Now if you'll excuse me, El Al is going to help me propose to this slice of pizza.