A Million Miles vs. a Few More Smiles from today’s New York Times
While I realize the issue(s) facing those interviewed:
Like many other frequent business travelers, he finds that there is only one airline whose flight schedule fits his needs.
“I’m not loyal,” he adds. “I’m just a hostage.”
it bothers me.
Maybe I’m spoiled in the NY area where I have, at minimum, four viable airports (HPN, EWR, LGA and JFK) and innumerable airline choices but I find it very hard to imagine an airport where there is a monopoly. Or if not a monopoly, a time monopoly. If the traveler’s schedule is so strict that only one makes it, how does s/he tolerate the unavoidable delays?
In an article on SmarterTravel.com titled “Frequent Flyer Resolutions for 2008,” he wrote, “My first resolution is to continue my gradual disengagement from mileage programs.”
In a way, that’s what I’ve been doing. I don’t want to feel tied to one program. Granted, there are times I wish I didn’t do this in order to more easily attain elite status, but I don’t mind being non-elite for the sake of my sanity. A good example is Virgin America, eleVAte hasn’t launched officially and even when it launches it isn’t likely to be aligned with any of the Big Three, but the flight times and prices are good. To me, it’s about more than mileage.
…interesting FlyerTalk discussion on the article as well…
