[flyhi152]

all these games are based upon the assumption that airline customers are stupid and don't realize how they are bullsh****d by the airlines.

this might be true with a large number of passengers but what airlines are obviously are not realizing is that this is not the case with their elite customers who fly several times a week: usually these customers are managers, business leaders, people with academic degrees. You can't fool around with these people. It is just bad business to think that it does not matter to lose these customers because a large part of the profits come from them, actually it depends upon these customers if an airline turns out to be profitable or not.

The way how passengers are deceived by these "Loyalty programs" reflects the typical american way to bulls**t customers with creations like "Free Gift" (which gift is not free ???) or " $ XXX per leg based upon the purchase of a roundtrip + taxes and fees" (I am wondering when Payless Shoes is going to start to offer the price of a single shoe based upon the purchase of a pair....)