Seriously, there is no compelling reason to change the current two-track methods for attaining status. For those who do most of their flying domestic, segments bring status. For international travelers, mileage is the route to status. Those who fly paid J are rewarded with 150% AQM, latitude and PE with 125%. That means that for paying more, they qualify for status from 25% to 50% faster than their Flex purchasing peers. The differential AQM along with the delta between Flex and Tango add power to the already strong correlation between spend and status.

My understanding of the UA spend program is that it is conditional on mileage achievement. I stand to be corrected on this: you still have to earn 100K miles or 100 segmants to qualify in addition to a spend of $10K. Spend without miles will not qualify for status. There is no chance that an Airline willl give you top-tier status for spending 25K on one return J fare to SYD. If that happens, I will spend $100K/a year for 4 different top tier programs. Where is my loyalty?