<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">The economic turbulence through which major air carriers are now trying to fly raises some questions about the future of frequent flier programs.

Might they be abolished for cost or other financial reasons? Might they be revised to make them more appealing to business travelers, the customers who generally pay the highest prices and the ones the airlines are trying to win back?

Randy Petersen, the self-made grand master all things relating to miles, recently asked his readers (http://www.webflyer.com) if they thought a fundamentally changed industry would have to shed the programs.</font>