Oddbean new post about login | logout The #enshittification of frequent flier programs – Delta establishes what is essentially a caste system for elite status, place it out of reach for many more/most users, and if you want to keep trying, you'll have to book all travel through Delta sites https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2023/09/15/delta-changes-miles-lounges-status-hackers/ https://cdn.masto.host/journahost/media_attachments/files/111/081/796/608/424/828/original/f8aba95e7451a28c.png https://cdn.masto.host/journahost/media_attachments/files/111/081/799/242/472/915/original/99e0117a486ab911.png
The idea of customer rewards programs is to gamify something tedious – flying, buying coffee, etc – then be relatively transparent and generous at first, then over time make the rules progressively more opaque and the rewards ever more meager or unachievable, until it's not clear why anyone would play the game anymore.
