Couldn't agree more. I never head for the airport unless I have a guaranteed F seat---usually by paying for it, albeit in discounted first. I play no favorites on carriers, making my decision on factors such as price, non-stop flight, and time of flight. I keep my marriage intact by never making connections, unless there is no other way around it. So, we fly all the carriers and fly plenty: Always EXP on AA; GS on UA; MVP75 on AS; and, until recently, DM On DL.
I quit chasing status long ago, and spouse and I have well over 10m miles between us, usually to give away to grandkids and employees. True, frequent travel miles have been devalued relentlessly.

So, in time, spouse and I have lifetime status on all the carriers, as high as allowed. AA never made me CK, which rankled me, given the $$ I spent for Lifetime Airpass. On the good side, it stimulated me to go with other carriers who fulfilled my flying needs--and get over the illusion of flying a carrier for status they weren't going to give me. Have a happy life now, although I wish AA hadn't abandoned us Bay Area flyers by cutting service and non-stop flights. The worst is loss of non-stop from SJC to LAX. Dates back to when SJC had a hub, stimulating me to buy AAirpass. I enjoy giving my flying money to AS, who isn't looking to leech every buck from my wallet in their mileage program for status, compared to Isom, Bastian, Kirby, et al, who only want $$$. We will occasionally fly WN when the convenience of routing is too much to ignore. Their website is easier to us, IMHO, than the other big boys.