Exactly. When I fly to FRA it's usually on LH, and usually a £300-£500 last minute economy ticket.

I credit this to United, and it's always better to have a no-hope frequent flyer number in a booking than non at all for irrops, but none of this actually makes me choose LH.

I could be doing it weekly - and I'd have no choice in the matter. The miles would be literally free for me. Lufthansa could IDB me every single time, deliver me six hours late, and put me in 25B with no on-board food or drink, even for purchase... I'd still be coming back because of travel policy.*

*Unless I resigned, which I probably would at that stage.

When I fly economy next weekend on QR (booked last week, at not much more notice, and for a similar price to my LH work flights) I will be on QR over any of the other ME3, or KL or MH, because this very cheap fare still gives me lounge access, priority security at BKK, 80 TP and an insignificant number of avios (2% of my current, not very high balance).

Without OneWorld status and earning, I'd have literally no reason to be on QR. Will QR make a fortune off that tiny fare? Of course not, but without a frequent flyer programme there's a good chance they'd have made nothing.