The Fickleness of Frequent Flyer Programs

Rewards programs are good business models to keep consumers loyal to a brand. Airlines use frequent flyer programs to deliver additional value to customers without having to incur additional costs. However, many passengers might be wondering why frequent flyer programs frequently change the rules of their benefits. A couple of business professors gives us the down and dirty about frequent flyer programs.

Essentially, airlines don't make much profit from ticket sales, they say. Instead, they get the most value from baggage fees, ticket change fees, and frequent flyer programs. You may wonder, how do airlines make profit from frequent flyer programs?

For one, the annual fees in maintaining a rewards credit card gives them extra revenues for a very low cost. Another is the interest that accumulates from unpaid balances when using the rewards card. So, the best way to maximize profit is to induce people to keep using these rewards programs.

However, they keep changing the rules depending on economic conditions. Airlines companies need to find the right balance on when to apply stricter rules for their frequent flyer programs and when to relax them. That's why during the pandemic era, they changed the rules to reward people based on the miles they've traveled versus dollars spent, since there were fewer people traveling anyway.

But now, since the world has returned to a more normal state, they have tightened the rules again. So, the business professors suggest that if you plan on getting a rewards card, get one that gives cash back, instead of airplane miles. At least you can use the cash for something else.

(Image credit: JESHOOTS.COM/Unsplash)


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The Matrix: It does bother me why the machines did not build space solar panels. But the point about Kuru is not fatal to the science. Maybe the machines were capable of pre-screening and/or genetically modifying human cells to prevent all forms of genetically transmitted disease. Or in making their special blend of soylent green, would filter out prions that cause kuru, mad cow, etc.

Humans are indeed inefficient energy producers, but who is to say that humans submerged in soylent goo, would not shut down or severely atrophy some of their organs (lungs for example) thus redirecting the energy wasted there for machine consumption. Perhaps the methane produced by the intestines (fart) could be harvested. Human bodies could be used to culture certain extremophiles that could produce other kinds of energy sources.

No, I am not Dr Mengele. But if the inevitable happens, I for one welcome our new machine overlords.
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Just need to watch The Animatrix and humans as a power source makes sense. The Second Renaissance Parts I & II tell the story of how robots evolve AI, humans continue to oppress, robots revolt, robots win the war and take revenge on humans by making them servants to the robots. It was never about efficiency.
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Evidently the original plan was to have the machines using the humans' brains to enhance computation power, which makes a lot more sense, but it got nixed by executive meddling.
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In the matrix, they combined human batteries with "a form of fusion". Human batteries would end up being a net loss for energy. Not sure if I agree with the space solar panels. Getting to space is a huge achievement, and how do you get the energy back to the surface? Nobody took this into consideration.
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