Originally Posted by cedric

I don't think that it was really answered, since the discussion picked up on a different tangent. However, given that lifetime status has the potential to discourage some people from being loyal (if you had the choice of going AC or going DL; and since AC can't always take you where you need to go and DL is also an important part of your flying - you'd pick DL, not AC, because you'd also want to build up status there). However, I think the idea that was suggested is workable and is basically exactly what US does.

Any status miles earned beyond top-tier qualification are carried-over to the following year:

If in Year1, I fly 125K;
If in Year2, I fly 120K;
If in Year3, I fly 145K;
And if in Year 4, I manage to fly only 20K and then get side-tracked due to a parenting issue;

I'd still have 25+20+45+20=110K total status miles: Therefore, I'd easily make SE for the following year.

Similarily, US also offers a soft landing as an unpublished benefit. For instance, if I were SE and unable to make SE the following year - and didn't even meet the criteria for E - I'd still get E. In this case, this works for E -> P as well.

So together, those programs allow for an incentive to fly with the airline beyond the top tier qualification and also address the problem of taking a year off. Seems to me that if AE were to adopt something similar, they'd be able to hang on to those clients and not have the expense of a Lifetime program.