The fatal flaw in so many of the US programs were that they rewarded low ball spenders more than top customers. By that I mean that top customers, who buy Business or First, already get many of the benefits packaged in - priority boarding, drinks, food, leg room, lounge access, Fast Track security etc. So the real benefit they got was miles. But people like me, who buy economy tickets get miles but also many of the above benefits - so it's a relatively better package and it's what attracted me to UA in the first place.

What I think the airlines are realising is that the FF program can dilute the premium offering - so they are moving away from that. In a sense that was always the case in Europe certainly where cheap fares often earn fewer miles and don't go much of the way towards status. But those sorts of options are more complicated in the US where credit card deals reign supreme, so the movement is more towards cash back schemes.

Sad for me, but inevitable I fear. When it happens on UA, my choice will be Premium Economy on BA or VS - more expensive certainly but at least guaranteed reasonably comfortable.