Frequent Fliers Are Rethinking Loyalty Programs and Setting Themselves Free

Some travelers, frustrated with changing airline rewards programs, have stopped chasing status and adopted different strategies when booking flights and using credit cards.

When SuzAnn Brantner moved to Indiana from Los Angeles during the coronavirus pandemic, she had been a longtime Delta Air Lines frequent flier, achieving the highest loyalty status the airline offered: Diamond Medallion. The benefits included expedited security screenings, priority boarding and top preference for complimentary first-class upgrades.

“I just always loved Delta,” Ms. Brantner, a 50-year-old marketing executive, said. She traveled every month because of her job and made sure to book all her flights with Delta — even if she had to make a connection and other airlines offered a direct flight. This made it easy to maintain her status.

But last year, when Delta announced it would be making modifications to its frequent-flier program, Ms. Brantner began to question her loyalty.

She is hardly alone. On Reddit communities dedicated to three major domestic carriers — Delta, United Airlines and American Airlines — some users are wondering whether maintaining airline loyalty status is worth it anymore as they calculate how much they will need to spend and travel for the rest of the year in order to reach certain status levels next year.

After The New York Times asked readers how they felt about their loyalty programs, more than 100 wrote in to say they were done chasing airline status. Some of the respondents said they were considering canceling their airline credit cards, where banks team up with airlines to offer additional benefits like lounge access, and which offer more opportunities to earn status tied to spending. Many expressed disappointment at how they had spent years accruing points and miles with their chosen airlines only for them to become significantly devalued as airlines made changes to their programs.

Ms. Brantner recalled a time when she had to spend $15,000 each year with Delta to reach the top-tier status. Now the company is asking customers to spend $28,000 annually to earn Diamond status. She also learned that her American Express Delta Reserve credit card would be imposing restrictions on how many times she could use the airline’s Sky Club lounges — unless she spent at least $75,000 on her card each year.