Originally Posted by
grahampros
Oh i think most of us most definitely notice those things. However the underline assumption here is that these things will decline for current AA flyers. I'm just not so sure about that. Despite what many seem to fear around here, i dont see Parker trying to US AA. More the opposite it what i expect to happen in many if not most cases.
I would at least give Parker credit that upon the merger he would realize that he was playing now in the big leagues. Furthermore, I think he would realize that DL and UA are the competition for his real bread and butter not as much WN or B6. Not to mention he now has hubs in the most lucrative travel markets in the nation.
Now that being said, the FF system in general is and will continue to move more towards rewarding higher spenders. Where that will end up in 2-3 years is somewhat unknown. You can bet that UA and AA (merged or not merged) will be looking at how successful DL is next year in adopting status based upon dollar spend. I tend to think unless UA sees a revolt its going this way. The question is will AA remain the odd man out trying to use it as a marketing tool?