Originally Posted by
eponymous_coward
Anyone who's flying monthly intercontinental trips (or more) probably wants more free travel like a hole in the head; acquiring a million+ RDM a year when you're on the road a ton already almost certainly means the airlines will get some "breakage".
On one level, I agree with you. Who in their right mind wants a busman's holiday?
But several posts above yours are two self-described "big spenders" (presumably spending OPM) who claim that UA and/or DL will attract all of their big-dollar premium cabin fares next year because of the huge sum of RDM they will garner.
Whether or not they actually redeem the miles in the future doesn't matter. What matters is whether UA and DL can shift revenue away from AA by rewarding the purchase of premium cabin fares with gazillions of RDM.
If the strategy works, then Parker would be brain-dead to stick with the current program.
If UA and DL don't increase their share of premium cabin fares, then what rationale exists for AA to join UA or DL?