When you travel so much on the company’s time and dime, that you last thing you want to see on your time off is another airport/airline combo. I ended up literally giving all of my miles away to friends and family.

I’m still collecting miles here and there, but never enough to gain any status. Which I’m absolutely fine with; I have no use of airline lounges, and seating on intra-EU flights is the same misery regardless of how far forward you are seated. When I check how many miles are required to get a flight, it’s clearly a fools errand chasing them. It used to be that the number of miles needed was solely depending on stage length, but not any more. That’s the absolute minimum miles needed, but more often than not they’ve introduced something akin to surge pricing, meaning that the flight which used to “cost” 25K miles can now be anywhere between that and up to 75K. And only very rarely is it 25K miles.

It actually gives me great pleasure not booking with the airline/alliance I used to, when I find a better option on another airline/alliance.

The reality is that most of the worthwhile perks of status can now be bought directly - either through paid J or paid F fares, or with the appropriate credit card. In any program there are very few good, usable benefits for FFs that cannot be replicated one way or another.

It sucks, but that is the truth. Status is worth less with each passing year.

I never do. I use points for First/Business flights so I don't need airline status. (ofc I am fine with cash-paid economy flights for short-haul.)

I have a friend who is close to getting MVP Gold 75 on AS so it makes sense to go for the 50k miles (that and the mango gummies at Medicine Man near LAX.) Oherwise I wouldn't bother.

Buy First - no status needed
 

Easy. I decided it wasn't worth chasing status when I realized I get all the benefits of status by simply buying a First Class ticket. Early boarding, free checked bags, a comfortable seat, and a hot meal. Status does absolutely nothing for me. Plus, now I'm free to fly whichever airline has the best schedule or equipment for my route.

that makes sense, and sounds amazing, but it comes at a steep cost (I’m thinking especially about international J), unless you’re always using points, including transfers from credit cards?

When evaluating hotel and airline elite status, it’s important to compare the equivalent cash expenditures with the benefits provided by the status. Determining whether you would actually pay for a flight or hotel stay at the advertised price helps assess the true value of redeemed points or upgrades. During several hotel stays with mid-tier elite status, I found that politely asking at the front desk often resulted in a nice room away from the elevator or even a reasonably priced suite upgrade. This was more cost-effective than chasing top-tier elite status.

In terms of air travel, frequent flyer programs today offer weaker status benefits compared to the past. In the early 2000s, upgrades were abundant on domestic flights because first-class seats were rarely sold out. The price gap between coach and first class was significant, making loyalty worthwhile for frequent upgrades. Additionally, I earned substantial miles on cross-country flights due to my elite status. Nowadays, flying coast to coast earns fewer miles than renting a car.

Instead of spending heavily to maintain elite status, I now prefer earning cash back on my credit cards. I use this cash to purchase what I need, such as domestic first-class tickets or international business class tickets. For example, I can find business class flights to Europe for $2,000 and domestic first-class tickets for $400. My credit card provides lounge access or restaurant benefits, allowing me to spend less overall than when I was chasing elite status.

When you are no longer at a company that pays for J.

Wouldn't that make status more valuable? If you're flying paid J, you already get most status perks.

It would make more status more valuable but not for having to pay out of pocket for it. I'm focused on the ROI, not just the R.

I'm probably very different from most folks on here as I'm almost purely a leisure traveler flying on my own dime. I rarely fly more than once a year for business, and most of my trips are domestic trips with family.

I managed to maintain NW platinum when I was in grad school (all on my own dime) through taking roundabout routes to visit my parents in the midwest (ah, the days of the Mesaba ARJ guaranteed upgrade!) and finding dirt cheap flights to visit my then-fiancee who was studying abroad. But once we got married and started having kids, the timing and cost (which multiplies with kids!) of flights became WAY more important than priority boarding or extra legroom. And living in NYC, where there's no one dominant carrier, eschewing status opens up so many options for flights that are better timed or cheaper than if I was trying to concentrate on a single airline. It's actually quite freeing.

As a Gen Z and resident of NYC, I have found that it’s better to go with who is the least expensive vs staying loyal. I try to fly business and first class domestic as a leisure traveler on my own dime so I find money in my hand from the savings is worth more than status or points. I’ve saved just over 5k this year which is a month and a half worth of rent for me. I did make gold with United and American Airlines as a by product of this.

Saved compared to what benchmark?

Total cost paying for flights booked directly through one airline over a year vs going with the least expensive flights.

Double post