I am pretty new here but I have noticed a couple things regarding the different FF programs available in the US vs Overseas.
I noticed alot of concern over the condition of the current FF programs of domestics like UA and AA. I have read quite a bit into the specifics of these programs and was quite amazed. The reason I say this is that I am a longtime member of Korean Air and there is a world of difference between the programs. With Korean Air, the first level tier is at 50K miles, the second is at 500K, and the third is Million Miler. Quite a big gap between the different tiers but miles never expire and you don't have to re-qualify every year. You can't buy miles and can't transfer awards to people other than family. I still earn bonus points when staying at Hiltons and using Hertz. They don't do challenges and as far as I know, this keeps the program from getting diluted which seems to be the issue for many here. Maybe it is the marketing differences between the airlines in the different countries. Korean Air is one of the biggest airlines in the Orient and even they have recently increased the amounts required for bonuses. Just my thoughts.

THe 500k and 1m are lifetime total miles, as near as I can tell