Hello KitKat..
We're in the same boat here regarding DTW, fares and choices long gone. We've actually saved over $1000 a few times by driving to Toronto, and actually connecting in CLT or ATL to the same flight we would have had we left from DTW. There used to be several charter flights that aligned perfectly with timeshare weeks as you said, but the option we really miss is USAirways. We had the old B of A USAirways debit card, and we would run even mortgage and utility payments through it for the miles. We'd always have more than enough for seats up front every year.

Cheers!

"We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch - we are going back from whence we came." ~ John F. Kennedy