AA is a weird program to redeem in right now. Nonstop flights from MIA-DFW are running 35k, but I can still easily find J class to europe for 57.5k.

Don't worry, as a long time AA flier, I can promise that they make their share of "enhancements" every year as well. Today just happens to be UA's day.

Regards

OP - Can you add a poll? (and include 'won't be loyal to any one program' / kayak it as an option?)

What might prompt your move back to UA?

Redeem? How do you expect to maintain status by redeeming miles?! (Haha.)

Oh, I know. But the gravy train will roll on for at least another year at AA compared to UA, unless AA quickly matches the change, which seems doubtful if not impossible, given its partnerships, CC deals, etc. We'll see.

I was platinum last year and gold this year. I will become a free agent and start flying ME3. I need to do work trips to South Asia and ME3 would be a far superior flying experience.

I'm being thinned from the herd and also I'm becoming a free agent like many. I’m on 50% “other people’s money” and 50% my own. The increasing spend and the corresponding value I get, make the cost-benefit ratio not worth it for me. I live in a Delta hub city, but choose to fly UA. Part nostalgia, part global network.

But, this year dropping to Plat and for 2020 I’m finally letting 1K lapse and I will just book on what’s most convenient. I think I’ll always place a preference on UA, but will place a greater importance on convenience/product over loyalty. I’m already buying up front for personal trips and am sitting on 9 GPUs that will die come 1/31. So, it’s not like those help dissuade me.

Absent anything new and amazing with my United Club Card benefits, I’m dropping that and switching to Sapphire Reserve. So, for UA, that’s two diminishing revenue streams from me.

Air NZ ffp is as bad as any ffp can be. Really only suited to those who fly Air NZ a lot or NZ residents (non flying activities)
When ever there is a major change of a ffp announced their is a surge of potential frequent flyer refugees.

With the majority of ffp's, benefits are reducing and ff mile award/upgrade costs are going up. Status & upgrades are now harder to get. The halcyon days of frequent flyer programs a decade ago are gone: just accept reality.
FF miles & benefits are a side product of flying to where you want to go: not the reason to travel.

• General FFP:- Which Frequent Flyer Program to Join? Help Is Here!
  
• Oneworld:- Deciding on a Oneworld Frequent Flyer Program? Help is here
  
• Star Alliance: Need advice on which Star Alliance FF scheme to join? - please post here
  
• Skyteam:- Which SkyTeam program should I sign up for?
  
• Be mindful of expiry Miles/Points that Do and Don't Expire. Click to open the wiki.

The grass in not always greener on the other side

I am not sure if the new OP can add. I was originally the OP (another earlier thread merged into this), and I cannot see a way. Maybe it needs a moderator to do it.

I propose the following poll questions:

Will you switch frequent flyer programs?
[ ] yes (including switching to no program / free agent)
[ ] no

Will you primarily credit to a US based frequent flyer program?
[ ] yes, UA
[ ] yes, not UA
[ ] no

What alliance will you use? {allow multiple selections}
[ ] Star Alliance
[ ] Oneworld
[ ] SkyTeam
[ ] none

Open to suggestions for improvement.

not stay. Flying fastest, cheapest, most direct, in class of service that I want.

Why not specifically list all of the (major) USA based FF programs? IIRC you can have questions with up to about ten multiple answer responses.

In the first question, I'd make free agent and other program different choices.

Maybe ask about switching away from UA credit cards?

Maybe also some question about whether one will continue to strive for UA MM status, although of course it's better if the poll isn't too long.

I have 1.5 million miles and was aiming for 2million by the time I slow down on flying - a little insurance for any MM devaluation. But this change means I will get nowhere near 1K so will no longer earn GPUs or points or whatever they are now called.

My initial reaction is to use up my remaining upgrades for this and next year and focus on BA instead. But then I just got off a miserable UA flight with FAs from hell.

Yes, only a moderator can do it and it can only be a single question, with a single response (out of a max of 10 choices).

I looked and could not work out to create a poll. User error obviously....

2020 will be burn, baby burn - UA miles and upgrades. Will keep Explorer card for CPUs on awards, then cancel 2021. Will not renew UC membership (was on the fence already).

I will continue to fly TPAC CX in paid J (and the occasional EK and JL) and accrue those trips to AS, to renew at 75K. AS will also see additional west coast and Hawaii traffic from me.

T-cons (NYC, BOS) in paid front cabin will go first to B6, second to DL.

I see spend on UA dropping drastically from currently levels (will finish this year over $20k) - could easily be under $5k next year on upgradeable tickets only.