You have a funny way to take my comment, post a counter-argument which picks up one half of my comment, and then make your argument/qeustion the topic of the debate

But whatever, here is what has over the years been enhanced away from HON, and I am sure I am missing a number of things, and forgive me for mentioning some that have already been mentioned upthread, a mix of promised benefits and of things that simply aren‘t done on the same quality level anymore:

• status earning on eco fares
• status earning on some of their TATL JV partners (I remember UA and US)
• higher status bonus for HON than for SEN etc
• booking guarantee for ANY booking class (I think that disappeared already around 2007 or so…)
• status with certain hotel programs (I seem to remember Hyatt)
• free newspaper and magazine subscriptions (I had the Financial Times through them for several years IIRC)
• dramatic deterioration of call centre quality, the current one is insulting (except Basel CCC)
• deterioration of catering quality in some of the FCL, in the case of Frankfurt dramatic
• deterioration of escort service at outstations (some still good, many total rubbish or totally absent by now. Not all are due to „local regulations“)
• deterioration of „common sense generosity“ for instance for waiving of certain fees
• introduxtion of fees for things like luggage and seats
• no more award or upgrade availability when A class is available
• no longer top of the OPUP list

But again, not my point. It‘s less about HON having become so much worse - which it hasn’t, it’s not a dramatic deterioration but just a downgrade, and it’s still good, and many of the things I listed have disappeared since many years and still I made a point of requalifying - but the combination of HON not being good enough anymore for a flight product that has dramatically deteriorated, when at the same time another airline that also suits my flying needs has improved its status programme and dramatically improved its flight product.

HON would need to become MUCH better to justify enduring Lufthansa long haul flights for example.