The article even starts off being inaccurate and can't get basic facts communicated correctly. For example, it says Delta already made the switch earlier this year; and yet, when it comes to earning miles from flights to be used for flights, all that DL did was announce that the switch would be made next year. DL signaled to its competitors what it was going to do and wanted them to do too. UA took DL's bait, hook, line and sinker.

That said, I do agree that lots of consumers took the FFP bait and overpaid as a result of poor valuations of the returns -- which they were (not) getting from their participation in the program of choice -- and thinking it worthwhile to pay a premium to collect miles and/or elite status and/or the benefits arising from those miles and/or elite status had by having a willingness to pay a slight premium for that.