Originally Posted by
mike turnbull
I sympathise. I'm lucky enough to have lived and travelled in the good old days of FFP's, in the 80's and 90's, when free rewards were free, numerous free upgrades, take a companion free across the pond, and many ridiculous bonus opportunities . I really must dig out all my old FFP documentation which I held on to with all US carriers, to remind me of just how lucky many of us were.
If governments have the interests of their public in mind, they could and would rescind a collection of the waivers and favors granted to the legacy major airlines and thereby let competition provide for improved outcomes for airline loyalty program customers. But as I am neither a prince/princess of a church nor a person of blind faith, I expect the airlines will continue to be allowed by government to engage in a rat race to the bottom that serves not customers in the main but enriches the management figures of companies and their fickle, demanding shareholders seeking a quick jolly regardless of the longer term impact..