I disagree completely. Air travel is back to close to 2019 levels. AC has already massively bloated the ranks of elites with all their promos and extensions. Why on Earth would they let people earn SQD on the cheap next year?
It's my guess--and I could be wrong--that they will continue to offer occasional incentives or bonuses--double SQD or some bonus related to credit card spending, etc. The pandemic has allowed them to try out some new ideas to see how they can manipulate our behavior through them. I'm guessing some will stick. But obviously it's all just speculation.