Right, there's an average around 1 cent (across all domestic and international travel) and you're suggesting that you should save them for when it's to your advantage. I agree.
Personally, I've never seen a flight where redemption matched the article at around $0.10/mi, e.g. a $5000 ticket for 50,000 miles. Let me know when you see one and I'll book a ticket and we can discuss this over coffee.