Originally Posted by
ryerflyer
Airlines are no longer looking to reward "loyal" i.e. "frequent" flyers. They are looking for each seat to be as profitable as possible. As they should if they want to stay in business, and with 85%+ load factors they can.
Every other successful industry defines their "best" or most loyal customers as those who spend the most money with them.
Getting rid of the MR-types who earn status on frequency or mileage-accumulation, on cheap fares, is part of the plan. Buh-bye.
Originally Posted by
mitchmu
It also raises the bar for earning status, makes it more expensive (for some) and therefore creates a stronger than ever disincentive to keep flying UA if the anti-elite and anti-customer attitude prevails (and why wouldn't it, it's a core cultural principle that's been drilled in for more than 2 years now).
In other words, pay more, get less. Why bother?
That's only looking at one side of the equation. Sometimes its best to leave things unchaged if they are profitable. For example, FF programs in themselves are profitable for carriers-ie. such as for QF, AC, and IIRC, AA
"Frequent Flyer has continued to make strong profits even when Qantas’s international airline business has been losing hundreds of millions of dollars a year."
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/trav...527-2n6b8.html
Originally Posted by
dinoscool3
There goes the ball game! With DL and UA doing it, will the new AA do it as well?
We don't know yet one bit.