First time post

Looks like I am on the other side of the loyalty equation. Recently completed what likely will be my last SWU upgraded flight. They were earned in 2022 just prior to retiring. Have had an Advantage account since 1984 and for the last 15 years was an EP or CK. But after March i moved down to Platinum status based on LP I earned flying in 2023/2024 (and what my 3.5m lifetime miles gives me as well). Don’t see any change to that in my future.

It does feel strange but given my change in status and the changes to the program I don’t feel compelled to solely fly AA like I have in the past. Actually in 2023 I used bank points to fly international Business class and flew domestically with other airlines. That being said we still did 14 round-trip on AA to include one TATL international. But even doing that and spending a fair amount (home renovation material) on my Citi Exec AA card I still did not get that close to the Platinum Pro LP threshold.

I am interested to see the impact as loyalty programs have evolved. Miles will continue to devalue. The actual benefits of status (like upgrades) are more and more a thing of the past as the airlines are getting better about monetizing them. I have bought upgrades myself when it seemed to be a good value. For customers like me (boomer in retirement) what are airlines going to do keep us loyal if we no longer meet their financial status thresholds? Are millennials and gen X customers airline card focused or bank point focused? Would think that bank cards will continue to get more popular with Capital One joining and maybe Wells Fargo. Would like to know what AMEX experienced with their Delta cards because their devaluation and changes certainly seemed to upset their Delta co-branded card holders. I think very few people have the means to cc spend their way to EP and those that do probably can spend on fares that give them the status they want without the status.

We put the majority of our cc spend on bank point cards now. When used to maximize the point multiples they can add far more value than using an AA card. Both Delta and United customers can transfer in from those systems. Miles while devaluing can be maximized with bank points especially when used internationally. So I have come to the point where I don’t need to limit my loyalty or spend to one carrier or card. More and more don't think anyone should.