Originally Posted by
jfinsocal
You get a few people that game the system to the detriment of others that spend real money on you airline.
How so? Someone who obtains the status cheaply takes away *nothing* from the airline nor other customers if they don't continue to fly. If they do continue to fly, they contribute revenues that boost profits, and therefore the ability for the airline to provide more routes, better service and perks, etc. It's actually a perfect system.
Case in point: I utilized this promo last yer to boost my status *purely* to help me reduce the cost of redeeming a few awards I was considering using in the coming year. It saved me a few hundred dollars in fees, which was greater than the cost of the three flights I took to qualify (only two were beyond what I would have taken anyway). US got some extra revenue from me up front, and though they lost out on the fees, I wouldn't have redeemed and paid them anyway if I hadn't gotten the status. A win for me, a win for US, and a win for other customers from whom I took nothing.