OK - off topic is fun.
Originally Posted by
jrpaguia
The amount of miles in your FF account is irrelevant.
I agree; I only mentioned it in relation to the financial health of airlines. An airlines financial health is very relevant to the wisdom of having a large amount of miles in your FF account.
That's obvious, and I haven't seen any arguments otherwise. I have explained why the policy makes sense for Southwest in response to people who believe that it would cost the airline nothing to allow free standby.
I guess I get confused why people bring a carrier's financial profit/loss into discussions like this thread; since we know it shouldn't affect which airline best meet our needs, why bring it up?
I respect Southwest as a business/investment more than any other airline. Their decision not to charge the public baggage fees increases my respect for WN.
Originally Posted by
lougord99
I disagree with your statement that WN is not generally the best airline for all frequent flyers. It is generally the best airline for me and many other business flyers. 5% of WN's flyers purchase the business select fare. There are a huge number of A-list flyers. The airline does work well for many people. It obviously does not work best for many other people.
The above proves that many business travellers think WN is best for them or are forced to fly WN; not that WN is actually best for these business travellers. I do not presume to know better; it may be that WN is truly best for all of the above flyers.
I question if the average FF understands what they could get with legacy FF miles but cannot get with WN credits. Also, while my knowledge/experience/persistence allows me to always redeem my legacy FF miles for the lowest published level for an expensive ticket, I recognize this is difficult/impossible for many. I also recognize that the person who flies primarily short routes has an equation that favors WN far more than the flyer who generally goes farther.
In conclusion, WN "is generally the best airline for me and many other business flyers" probably is true for you,
lougord99, but I doubt the
average business traveller on any airline understands the opportunity cost equation well enough to make the decision that is truly optimum for their needs/wants/priorities.
My personal situation is very unique and the equation should be different for everyone, depending what expensive places you want/need to go that FF could replace $$$$ expenditure for. For me, return on investment is a very important part of the equation. The legacy FF programs allow me to get a $2000 free ticket when I spend $2000. WN does not come close.
AA Example:
10 domestic tickets at an average of ~$200 each round trip
7,500 miles earned on average per ticket (~1400 miles flown each way + status and other bonuses)
= 75,000 AA miles earned, $2000 spent
75,000 AA miles = free roundtrip ticket USA-Cameroon = $2000 value (average fare USA to Cameroon)
As I/my family frequently need a ticket to/from Cameroon, I regularly get $2000 value back from AA after having spent $2000 on AA domestically.