Originally Posted by
atflyer
Thanks for the confirmation! Sure, *G is only useful if you use it, but not having the pressure to qualify in that year in between and e.g. use your points for award flights is nice. Or to work on status with another alliance.
It is not just about collecting shiny cards - having say 2 of these cards gives flexibility in airline choice. I am recently status matched to TK and all of a sudden I have fast lanes, free seat selection, free bags and lounge access on TK and *A carriers, which become now a good alternative for ST where I have status as well, particularly if they offer considerably lower prices. Without the perks the price difference often vanishes by paying for seats and bags.
"Collecting shiny cards" is exactly what you are doing if you "or to work on status with another alliance". I understand that sounds a bit extreme, but there's a certain FT mentality which means that everything has to "mean something". Any paid airfare needs to be working towards elite status or every hotel night needs to be counting for status (re)qualification. For many people around FT, it's the thrill of the chase, not the benefits themselves - even if they have convinced themselves otherwise.
If you really really pause to look at it in detail, for everybody other than the most frequent of flyers, maintaining elite status in 2 or 3 alliances costs more than "the price difference of paying for seats and bags", which BTW isn't at all a *A-wide benefit for TK elites. (and a lot of people will just OLCI to grab their preferred seat type and travel HBO when necessary) Use your miles, fly on the best airline option for each itinerary, spend OPM exclusively, or even simply be totally loyal to your home country's airline. But if you're really travelling enough to benefit from elite status, you are earning it organically anyhow.