Presumably, most of us gun for status based on what programs DO offer based on the current calendar year, not on what they MIGHT add or subtract during the year.

We should be motivated by the yearly CORE program policies/perks, not seduced by the late year ADD-ONS (which are definitely unpredictable and fleeting).

No one wants to walk away or preemptively deny themselves some late year largesse from the airlines. But we have to be consistent when it comes to the principal of late disclosure. If we ACCEPT good news late in the year for the following year's program, but WON'T ALLOW bad news made in the same time frame, then WE are being intellectually dishonest.

I believe most of us value continuity/consistency, because no one wants to have to keep checking the website or the Service Center everyday to make sure the programs haven't changed while we weren't paying attention. Some FTers might be that obsessive, but not most.

Rather, create an industry wide disclosure date that is late enough in the year that the airlines have some ability to evaluate how the programs have performed so far that year, while being early enough for Flyers to have time to switch programs and earn status, if they dislike the changes to their program.

June 1 strikes me as a spreading the pain date. The airlines get your loyalty for at least 6 months, before they risk having you ditch them. And consumers still have enough time to switch and get status, although they will have 'wasted' 6 months with the airline. As long as both parties have reasonable risk/benefit ratios, this date should be a good starting point (or even end point) to hammering out an agreement.

BTW, with this scenario, an airline could theoretically announce on Jan 1 (six months BEFORE the official June 1 official program change anouncement date for the next year) that the program will NOT be making any changes for the followng year...and use that VERY early disclosure as a strategy to get new busness from the 'fencesitters'. The threat of that strategy alone could motivate the airlines to all VOLUNTARILY make the program changes known a year in advance.

The goal is not to compel airlines through Congress, the Courts, etc., but use market forces and competitive edges to level the playing field between the two parties.

[This message has been edited by beaubo (edited 09-12-2001).]