emcampbe

Im sure some will take this as defending the UA changes - this is not meant as such, but more as context.

If you think AA is going to keep the status quo with their program, think again. They're concentrating on how to combine all of their ops now. Pretty pointless for them to change the separate FF programs now when they'll have a whole new one that will likely go into effect by the beginning of 2015. You will see some not pleasant changes there too. They may also not make all of the changes at program inception - keep some of the benefits others don't have so people don't switch out at the onset, and then implement them later in the 2015 or 2016 timeframes. Don't think even if they don't make changes initially, that they aren't planning them. The late merger gives them good reason to not follow others as fast as they would have otherwise. In other words, you have a bit more time to play with over there. Maybe the changes won't be as bad, maybe they will. Only time will tell.

As for DL, yes, they have made some decent changes, though as evidenced in the other thread about GPUs, some still prefer the UA method. For all the praise DL gets, they treated me pretty badly the few times I did try to fly them when I was based out of CVG (and given the downsizing they've done there, there are few trips I was able to do without stopping in one of their other hubs anyway - so there was rarely a convenience benefit anymore). And when all is said and done - it's still exceptionally difficult to use skypesos at the lower levels. For many who like to redeem awards, DL isn't a good program for them. And any last minute changes on awards and you lose the miles. Don't think many people appreciate that.

As for AS, I don't know much about their program but hear good things. They are also more of a regional player and I may very well use them if I was west-coast based. Yes, the AA/DL partnerships are great for them. However, DL looks to be trying to fire them from that partnership - so AA will be that's left of that. They have never been able to get me where I primarily travel. For those millions of people based on the east coast and Midwest, as I always have been in the US, AS is not going to be a good option either.