Things have definitely gotten tougher, in general. Whether it will continue that way is anyone's guess. I'd say it depends on a lot of factors such as the economy and condition of the airline and hotel/travel industry as well as how the banks are evaluating the performance of these affiliate cards. All of those parties will do what they think is in the best interest of their stakeholders - as we look after our best interests as much as possible.

Also there is now a spotlight on the world of us FT types via mainstream news articles, certain points & miles bloggers, and others - that wasn't the case in years past and probably has been a contributing factor in encouraging banks to look harder at things and crack down.

It takes a bit more planning in applications and usage of cards than in the past. A lot can change in the world at large over 5 or 10 years so who knows what the future will hold.