Originally Posted by Geobub

Hi All!

The airline customer loyalty programs fail to keep me loyal and equate to [ethnic slur removed by moderator]. Airlines argue that these programs are costly to maintain but this is not true. The accounts resides on a computer disk with high efficiency storage systems. The usage of points for air travel is managed and costed in favor of the airlines when they charge 25,000 to 35,000 points to travel.

Moreover, they leverage circumstances (military deployments overseas and periods of unemployment) to their favor in efforts to render the program ineffective by requiring forfeiture of the miles. American Express does not do this and I have earned well over 400,000 points on American Express over the years. Unfortunately, I have lost about 150,000 miles on these Airline programs. I find I have to have spend an inordinate amount of time tracking these airline accounts. I have to go out of my way to earn points to keep them current. Most people do not have time for this. Isn't customer loyalty about the experience? Should these programs be more in line with one's activities?

The air mileage programs are ineffective customer loyalty programs and they, in fact, have lost advocates. I equate forfeiture with [ethnic slur removed by moderator].

What are other people's experience?