Originally Posted by
enviroian
To me being a free agent is someone who can afford to buy and does buy F class tickets meaning loyalty is moot at this point. Loyalty to AA will give me free good Y seats (free agent would have to pay), upgrades once in a blue moon and preferential treatment during irregular operations. At least I'd like to think that!
I'm not above buying F, and have at the right price point. A majority of my domestic flights tend to be short but pricey, so a combination of Y on short flights and Y+ on the handful of longer flights tends to work fine no matter the airline. Giving Citibank $99/year for Group 5 boarding typically ensures that I get overhead space on AA.
I do aim for J (or Y+ at a minimum) when flying internationally.