Socioeconomic Function of FF Programs
 

Tell me if this make sense, but maybe the real "reason" for FF programs is to send cash back to the managerial class. The way the economy works they are required to take these long trips in cramped positions that really wasn't a feature of life for this class of people before the "global economy."

The stated purpose is of course to reward frequent travelers and to encourage them to remain loyal to a favorite airline.

The hidden purpose is to get corporate travelers to maneuver around the restrictions of their corporate travel policies to fly a particular airline regardless of the fare. The airlines have stuck to the policy that the miles belong to the traveler, not to the company that buys the ticket, to keep the travelers loyal even when the company is not.

When AA invented the frequent flyer program, the reason was to gather better data on their customers. Until the FF number, they only thing they could do was to use the telephone number as an identifier but this was somewhat unreliable.