Originally Posted by
WWads
I'm honestly shocked that DM memberships didn't get axed. The other airlines don't offer that perk. As for Amex swipes, maybe give card holders four passes a year or something. I hold the Reserve, so it doesn't matter much to me.
Actually it is getting axed with the next benefit year in a way. It's going to be a choice benefit but you get a third benefit so I'll just use my Am Ex reserve card for access until my membership runs out (I had two and a half years remaining on my paid membership when I made diamond so have access for a couple years). For people like me that already have another means to enter it's a plus because we can chose another benefit. For people that want to chose the skyclub as a benefit it will kind of suck because they will have to select their other options in January if they want the skyclub membership to kick in which means the GU's expire sooner.
For other airlines not giving the benefit, they don't require the amount of flying for top tier. UA and AA is only 100K miles a year plus AA gets more SWU's that are easier to use and if you fly enough on UA over the 100K you get additional SWU's and their SWU's are easier to use and AA has a more generous SDC policy. I'd gladly give up the free skyclub membership for more SWU's and ones that are lot less restricted and the old SDC policy.