I think you're right on this. Then again, how many frequent flyers fly out of convenience or directed by company policy? I would also suggest those who are on FlyerTalk is more astute in the workings of "Loyalty" programs than the general flying public. I suppose this time next year we all will have a better understanding how this impacts who will qualify for 1K, Plat, Gold, etc. I am sure someone will create a thread to document qualifying criteria and benchmarks.