Beckles reminded me about this thread in New Orleans, and I forgot that I had meant to throw in my worthless opinion:

I do indeed find miles to be a guilty pleasure. Just like an ice cream sunday or that third martini, I know I shouldn't be enjoying earning miles this much.

But then I travel with my wife or a non-frequent flying colleague, and I remember why I do it and why it feels so good. The lounges, the upgrades, the free travel, the special check-in and other treatment make United feel a little more like home to me. I feel more appreciated than the average traveller, and for one who spends as much time away from my real home as I do, the value of such a feeling cannot be overstated.

Do I go out of my way to collect miles and stauts? Of course. Doesn't everyone want to maximize thier investment (of time, money, whatever)?

Does the time I spend doing it justify the gains? Sure. Even if that just means concentrating my travel to specific airlines and hotels (wouldn't call that being "going crazy for miles", would you?) I gain an amazing array of benefits that someone who spreads their loyalty around would not get. Is this a slippery slope? Sure! You can go from concentrating your travel to taking extra layovers to taking non-work or vacation related overnight flights in a heartbeat. Then again, maybe some people enjoy the journey even more than the destination (hey, that sounds like a cool airline ad slogan).

So, from my perspective, and from the perspective of the airlines, I think the programs work. Are they addictive? Yeah, but no more so than any other work-related hobby (eg, the race car driver who collects cars; the postal clerk who collects stamps).

Anyway, that's my rambling on the topic. Thanks, Dick, for challenging our thesis with your antithesis. I for one, have gained a refined synthesis from the process.