If this is a fiddle, I'm glad to join the band. Status has helped in the event of irregular operations. It's gotten me upgrades from Y to J and from J to F, to the benefit of my and my wife's sleep, enjoyment and work. And it's also gotten me extra miles that have taken us on wonderful vacations I otherwise wouldn't have been able to afford.

Yes, it was clever of airlines to create FF programs, but that does not make it a zero sum game. It's been clever because people want them for very rational reasons that reap big, very tangible rewards.