Okay, please do not pounce on me. There are alot of reasons to choose SWA for my flights, but here is why I also make sure that I do 100 segments on United.

1. There is no reason for me to fly more than 32 segments on SWA each year. The 32 ensure I maintain my A-List, but the CP is acheived through my car rentals and those 32 flights. I also get plenty of free flights from the credits used to obtain CP. There is no reason to go above the 32 flights.

2. United makes it clear that to get the best bonuses, best seats (Unlimited Domestic Upgrades), and the best attention then I must do 100,000 miles or 100 segments. Since I only have to do 32 segments on SWA, I have another 175-200 flights to swing to other carriers to build up additional priority status with them.

3. SWA routes have some major holes. The Charlotte marketplace (and the western part of Virginia) and southern Missouri/Northern Arkansas are the biggest holes for my travel. It would be a 3+ hour drive from STL or a stop in STL and 2 hour drive from TUL (I am based out of Chicago).

I would propose to SWA to get some layers in the elite program and base the levels on number of flights flown. This would definitely drive me to take more flights. I can't imagine that giving companion passes to a bunch of people that only fly with them 32 times a year is as profitable as if they only gave them to the people who actually flew 100 times a year. This probably isn't popular on this board, but I think that SWA needs to start thinking about the business traveler who cares about customer service but doesn't need the "baggage" of the legacies. The loyalty of that crowd could drive alot of additional business.

Let the discussion begin. Note that this is purely an opinion from my point of view. Take it for what it is and I hope that it drives an interesting discussion.