Originally Posted by
VegasGambler
This change is basically irrelevant; any mileage activity extends miles so unless you have the CC and pay the annual fee without making a single purchase (why would anyone do that?) your miles would not have expired anyway.
I actually come pretty close to doing that with Alaska: the companion fare alone is easily worth the $75 annual fee (and without status, the bag fee waiver can pay for itself in one family trip for those who check bags), but we don't use the card for many purchases. Of course, even if you don't earn a mile from credit card spend, you would earn a mile from the companion fare flight and/or any flights on which you take advantage of the bag fee waiver, so the miles wouldn't expire anyway.
But if you're not flying AA at all or using the credit card at all, I'd imagine AA/Citi/Barclays are perfectly happy for you to pay an annual fee and get no benefit except not having miles expire. Doesn't cost them anything, and subsidizes the card for those who take more advantage of the benefits!