Originally Posted by
pinniped
I look at it a little differently. I believe most people in this world get sucked into their "primary" airline (whether they like it or not) because the routes they fly align best with that carrier/alliance.
Again, not Flyertalkers here...normal people.
You live in Newark, you're flying United, you probably never think "What if I crossed NYC to get to JFK so I could participate in Skymiles?" In this sense, Chicagoans are probably unique in the U.S. in that they have two major hub operations a 2-minute train ride apart at O'Hare. They probably have more of a choice than the rest of us. For them, the nuances of AAdvantage vs. MileagePlus might drive some decisions. Perhaps it's no coincidence that those two programs are highly similar to each other, moreso than they are to DL or US.
I don't really think of it as "loyalty". Let's be honest: most of the world hates all of these companies. We just use the one that's least-bad for us.
I disagree. If you live in or close to a single major hub operation (like ATL or EWR), and place a priority on convenience, you are likely a loyal customer of that airline but not one retained by the loyalty program. Those of us with medium to large airports with relatively diverse airline mixes (e.g. LAS, MCO, PDX, PIT) and those of us in high competition markets with multiple hubs (e.g. NYC, DC, Bay Area, Chicago) do have some choice in the matter without sacrificing too much convenience.
I live in a city without a major hub operation, and my usual destinations do not have nonstop flights on any airline from my home base. I have a choice of UA, US, WN, or DL - all would get me to most of my destinations reliably. I choose to fly UA for business and personal travel, and am willing to pay 20% or so more to fly on UA because of the benefits of elite status and award miles. That's a substantial premium to UA from my loyalty. I do occasionally fly others when UA lacks a convenient flight or when the price gap is too large, so it's not unwavering; but it certainly influences my choices and I am willing to pay more for it.