I've been reading these boards for quite a while now as they are a treasure trove of useful information.

Since there are many different and sometimes roundabout ways to achieve elite-level status, I've been wondering if the airlines themselves distinguish between a "traditional" gold level flyer that brought in (for example) 30 or so CVG-ALB full economy walk-up fares and the savvy leisure traveler who checks published fares religiously to get the best possible deals with multi-segment itineraries almost exclusively on heavily discounted advance purchase fares.

Don't get me wrong, I see nothing wrong with getting what is offered in the easiest and simplest way possible and of course upgrades still depend on class of travel of the original ticket, etc.

But do the airlines have a way of knowing who is the bigger asset? And if they know, how do they use this knowledge. I have heard that US looks very carefully at its Platinum level (Chairman's Preferred) FF'ers and not all of them are getting complimentary club memberships (to take one example).