A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
Programs: AA Gold 1MM, AS MVP, UA Silver, WN A-List, Marriott LT Titanium, HH Diamond
Posts: 52,563
I will say this: as the miles earned from flying have decreased, I've moved back to a very neutral position when it comes to any kind of "loyalty". I hold very simple, low-level statuses that give me basic access to Oneworld and Star Alliance (AA Gold and A3 Gold). That is, borderline humane treatment (usually) and one checked bag. Throw in non-alliance airlines that seem to treat fliers humanely (usually) - Southwest, Aer Lingus, Jet Airways have all been fine for me in the past couple years - and I usually have a lot of options. (If I felt like I needed Skyteam, there's probably a credit card I could get that would make it semi-tolerable.)
If I was really doing 100,000 miles BIS, then maybe I'd still care about loyalty. But at the low-tier level...25k-50k miles flown per year I just want more direct routes, less hassle, and decent airfares, and I'm not going to give up those things to get a few more miles.