Originally Posted by
WebTraveler
I disagree with your analogy. The relationship with Alaska brings AA a lot of business. If I didn't get Alaska miles I may not (probably not ) fly AA. That was the beauty. AA got me as a customer that they may not have ordinarily had. Bringing a huge stack of business was something Alaska provided to AA.
I don't always fly AA, but when I do, the ability to earn AS miles and the elite benefits were a factor in choosing that flight.
I already have too many AA miles; unless the price is right or the routing perfect, I won't pick AA for revenue travel in the future.