Originally Posted by
Aussienarelle
I am watching the Premium deals FT thread to be ready to pick up my TATL and TPAC flights for next year. Great if UA/*A but OAL will work just as well... I have decided I do not care about any particular airline loyalty program since what I am looking for is the pointy end of the plane.
This is the future. You're thinking right.
Every time the airlines shrink the utility / relevance / value of their FF programs, they create more disloyal free agents. Five or seven years ago I ranked FF factors among the top three influences over my buying behavior; today FF earnings and status are a virtual non-factor for me, behind not only schedule and price but... fleet / equipment assignments, OTP, nuisance fees, boarding process, pitch, and seat comfort. If i earn a smattering of miles, fine, but I'm not going to endure any inconvenience pursuing them.
MP (like other programs) used to perform a sort of anesthetic function, compensating regular customers for coping with United's painful operational and cultural shortcomings. Today the rational coping strategy is to fly the airline best suited for each new trip, whatever the route / cabin / mission.