Originally Posted by
WheelsFirst
Status matching is an interesting concept because it defeats the reward for loyalty, it basically says if you were loyal to one airline, our airline will give you the same benefits. However, it is an effective and necessary business practice as it reduces the lock one airline has on a traveler if they want to switch.
I think it's because the programs are really misidentified as purely "rewarding loyalty" when it comes to elite status. The benefits are intended to incentivize future spending at least as much as they are designed to reward past loyalty.