It should be readily apparent by now that these deals are not aimed at MR savvy FT types, so there's little point in comparing them to MR options. They are pretty clearly aimed at people whose time is quite valuable and have neither the knowledge or inclination to take an MR. It's ultimately about revenue maximization (somewhat like selling airline tickets) plus balancing additional costs for the higher levels in terms of benefits and mileage earning (and, yes, possibly elite ranks inflation). Most everyone here assumes they can't possibly be selling many of these offers, but I have a feeling that sales are higher than you might think.
Last edited by xliioper; Dec 10, 2018 at 3:51 am