For all my kvetching about United, the introduction of Star Alliance awards was big boon to members.

Used to be that if you wanted to fly on a partner it was a partner award, period. Now you can mix and match carriers and you cna do so in the same class of service.

I remember in my pre-Flyertalk days calling United and asking about C flights to SYD. I had a choice of UA or NZ. If I chose NZ, I had to fly in coach on UA to LAX (from IAD) and UA described their giving me that flight as "a courtesy".

Now just look: folks flying SQ, TG, ANA, and UA all on the same award and all in a premium class of service (and believe it or not, there HAVE been a few documented examples of redeeming a premium SQ flight).

Alliance awards ARE a big enhancement. And alliances more generally are too ... the ability to accrue status miles on more carriers.. the extension of benefits (lounges, checkin and boarding privileges) too. The really great alliance benefit which is all too limited now is partner upgrades. UA FFers can upgrade on LH (though this benefit is limited). DL FFers can upgrade on AF (limited to transatlantic flights). There's some reciprocal upgrade benefits on CO/NW with KLM.

So Randy, you're question is a good one, there are enhancements and sometimes those may balance out.

I'd love to know what balances out British Airways massive increase in redemption prices, though... And I think that AA's price increases coupled with increased partner award flexibility is something of a mixed bag.

I guess I'd love to hear the perspective of program executives on this. Do they see the two things (increased point requrements, increased award possibilities) as linked? And if so, what's the profile of flyer they have in mind to benefit, and do they have a sense of the profile of flyer that loses out?

In these changes some people gain and others lose. And whether something is an enhancement or a devaluation all depends on the preferences of the FFer. But some enhancements are more equal than others...

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View from the Wing: A blog about Free Miles and Free Markets