What I'm actually looking for - is honesty from the party I deal with. They define the rules of the relationship - I have no say in that, I can either accept it as is or try somebody else. They must stick to their own rules - not change them as they please. Even when they're losing money because of that - that's the fault of someone within their organization, not the customers who've been loyal to them.

I do realize though that the entire loyalty industry is in deep crisis. The need for large businesses to attract loyal customers - has been diminishing. They found other ways, like killing competition for example (by acquisition or by lobbying for regulations). Any major airline in North America - now divides their customer base into three groups. Regular business travelers - like myself, who travel on customer's dime - have no choice. We need to be at our destination in the shortest time - and are not allowed to pay for any extra. So our business is almost guaranteed - but we ourselves have 0 influence on its development. Therefore, there's no real business need to incentify us.
Then come leisure travelers - many booking one or two flights a year. All they care about is price. You cannot expect any loyalty from them.
Last - and most lucrative - group - is a small number of wealthy frequent flyers who can afford premium class on long-haul flights. Those are the ones that essentially pay for dozens of fellow passengers - with their single ticket. And the airlines know that, and they go after that group aggressively. They'd give them perks and make sure they're satisfied. But you really need to spend tens - or maybe even hundreds - of thousands of dollars annually of your own - not your employer's - money - if you want to be part of that group.