I hope to dog you are right. AA should've made an attempt to make their prizes more relevant instead of pimping heavily unpopular partners (Avis, Simplisafe and Lifelock to name a few). Starbucks maximises their revenue by offering discounts. I received discounts on coffee, sandwiches, and even merch. In addition to the stars, these discounts are valuable since I am a customer who buys stuff at Starbucks. Also, because they gave discounts on things that I wouldn't normally buy (coffee and merch), I am more likely to use those discounts (or give it to someone who would use it), which means more revenue for things that would otherwise become spoiled inventory.