Originally Posted by dream7
This is exactly what has happened in the past. Lifetime members of Eastern and TWA's clubs found out that lifetime membership only lasted a brief period with Continental and American respectively. So don't buy a lifetime membership and think that you will be taken care of if your airline is acquired.
I bought a lifetime with TWA for around $400 (with spouse) in 1980 or 1981 and they had an offer to add Piedmont for $100. When Piedmont was acquired by what is now USAir the Piedmont became a lifetime USAir. When American acquired TWA I lost the lifetime. I'm still way ahead, but I if the acquiring airline does not have a lifetime membership, I believe you will lose the lifetime membership. If the acquiring airline has a lifetime membership, it will be a marketing decision that could go either way.