It really sucks for me. My expiration is OCt 26. And I took a lot of flights last year. Problem is I took very few on AirTran after Oct 26 of last year. In fact, the two mnths before that date , I flew more AirTran flights than in the 10 months after that date. In the last 10 months, I have flown only 8 flights on AirTran and 4 on WN. Unfortunately, those 4 on WN wont count despite my having no option to book those flights on AirTran's site(to PBI).
It doesn't help that AirTran has discontinued flights to a lot of my usual spots. Even PHL and BOS, the prices have gone up to levels where I can no longer take spontaneous trips like I used to. I traveled to Boston from ATL recently and despite it being booked during a sale, and I was traveling at 9pm on Tuesday(not a high traffic airtime on that route), my ticket cost me 170 plus one way. And now PHL is routinely in the 150 range. Today, they reduced the ATL-PHL price in early October(my next visit there) to 130plus each way, but then what do they do? THey limit the direct flghts to only one a day. And it doesn't help that Frontier is selling tickets for half price to Wilmington around the same time period. and I am traveling to Delaware actually. So just to get status on WN , I am unwilling to spend an extra 100 bucks. Tough to be loyal enough to get status for next year which I can use to get status on WN for next year.