Sorry, going off-topic here: I go to CR when I have to purchase a big-ticket item (car, refrigerator, etc.) that I know nothing about. Yet, whenever I look at the ratings for something I know a lot about (TVs, hi-fi, cameras) I always end up scratching my head. I know they use purely objective criteria to judge products, and therein lies the rub. Objective or measurable criteria only goes so far when judging modern products due to massive reliance on User Interface and other intangibles.

Carrying this thought back to on OT discussion: how do you appropriately judge a FF program?!? Each program will have a different value to different individuals, depending on what they value when flying. To "rank" FF programs in the guise of any "objective" system is ludicrous.