I gave up back when the 500-mi minimum was pulled. The elimination of bonus miles just added insult to injury.

Loads are just one component of running a profitable business. It's entirely possible that US is packing its planes with non-loyal, lowest-fare leisure travelers at the expense of loyal, high-fare business travelers. I don't know if that's true, but if so, I'm not sure that increased volume can compensate for decreased margins. Time will tell.