Originally Posted by marwah0

Yes...there is definitely a perspective that those who obtained status/benefits via a credit card are somehow "gaming" or "cheating" the system, because in theory, it requires far less time and effort than the "traditional" means of qualification. The credit cards can be viewed as arbitrage. Which is easier...handing over $650, or spending 50 nights in a Courtyard Marriott in BFE? It's a similar paradigm to the credit cards and Sky Club access. Which is "easier"...handing over $650, or flying AGS-ATL-XNA and back weekly to hit DM (using the old method) and get SC access via choice benefits? So when you show up to the Marriott and get told "sorry no upgrades, so many Platinums now" or show up to the Sky Club and find a line to get in, it's easy to ascribe the loss in benefits to those who somehow achieved the benefit in a way "easier" than you did.

I do think the airlines, hotels, and credit card companies are threading a needle on how much they can charge for an annual fee while providing the least amount of benefits cost-wise. I think it's more likely we'll see benefits decrease subtly than significant annual fee increases (case in point: SC visit limits for the credit cards).