Thanks for post, and I have gotten over being called a humbug. And thanks to Waitlisted for intelligence on looking at the issues and his previous very intelligent posts. As 2026 approaches, strategy of spouse and I have shifted to flying where we can get leverage for our miles. Between us we have over 6 million AS miles accumulated and don't need to pileup any more. When we include DL, UA, and AA programs, we have over 22,000,000 miles to give. I suspect others may have plenty more. We use ours to reward employees, kids (and soon to bee great-grandchild) to get out there and come to visit. After that, they go to employees for service recognition, and after that, donated to medical transport charity needs for transporting patients to our trauma centers in Santa Clara County.

Never underestimate, or be surprised, when an air carrier moves its goal posts in administering its frequent flyer program. One thing I've learned with some pain in the past.

Spouse and I are well in to our late 70's and are facing the reality that "He who dies with the most miles---is dead". Enough of that. We are taking a break from needing to fly AS for the next 2 years. We are not "chasing status" as one poster seemed to allege. We just pile miles up, and parse them out, based on our system design. Nothing more. Hope that AS Atmos program runs well as the next year approaches and tries to make flyers happy. It really has some of the most benefits I have ever seen. Our AKL stock has been up and up and hovering the toilet at times, but is the only airline stock we have ever held. As much as I get po'd at the IT off AS, I like Benito.

UA and Bastian/DL's programs are very revenue driven. AS has not been so, and I believe that appeals to the more mainstream, non-corporate flyers. AA maybe a little in between. Give Robert Crandall his due some day for starting AA's FF program and getting the other carriers to follow. I am tired of Kirby dumping on AA and told some of UA management (I have operated on some of them) that he ought to button it. AA is a tough airline to run, being as too-big as it is. I still have their Lifetime AAirpass, like Mark Cuban. Glad AA and AS are in One Wold together. Planning to sign off. Doubt that I will post any further in the future, although I may still lurk a little bit, and keep flying as long as I might be able to help other flyers.