Aviation expert reveals why frequent flyer and lifetime passes like AAirpass aren't automatically a good idea

Airlines don’t really offer lifetime passes anymore, but airline frequent flyer programs are more popular than ever.

There are advantages to them, along with a lot of nice perks that extend beyond aviation and the travel world.

But some aviation experts believe they’re not all they’re cracked up to be.

And there are a few things to bear in mind.

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The reason why frequent flyer programs and lifetime passes aren’t automatically a good idea

Aviation expert Robert Cullemore – a consultant with over 20 years of experience in this field – explained why frequent flyer programs and passes are great, but can also be a double-edged sword.

“I’m generally against anything that hugely inclines one to use any one particular airline over others,” he told Supercar Blondie.

One of the potential problems with these programs is that the flyer may end up feeling compelled to use one carrier over another, even when it doesn’t make sense financially and logistically.

Apparently, there’s also a term for it: sunk-cost fallacy.

It’s like the psychology bias behind the ‘free shipping’ strategy, when you end up spending more than you intended and keep adding stuff you don’t need to your cart just to get free shipping.

This is something we should all bear in mind because most people tend to fly to wherever, whenever – depending on budget, destination, whims, and so on.

Translated, most travelers don’t fly enough for loyalty to pay off.

Obviously, this doesn’t apply to everyone.

For example, if you’re flying from A to B for work, and you know with certainty you’re going to have to do it five times a month for the next five years, then it makes sense to look for a frequent flyer program that rewards you for that particular route.

Companies learned from red flags in the past

The other big reason why these airline frequent flyer programs may backfire is that companies learned from their past ‘mistakes’, which means these programs generally (very heavily) favor the airline, not the passenger.

These days, airlines have an infinite amount of data they use just to accurately price each seat, which means they definitely have enough data to fine-tune these programs to tilt them in their favor.

Back when lifetime passes were a thing, some airlines found themselves in complicated situations with passengers who definitely got their money’s worth.

Tom Stuker (above), a famous example, bought a lifetime pass with United Airlines back in the 1990s and ended up saving $2.37 million after racking up

Obviously, not every single United Airlines pass holder did that, but this was still a red flag for the airline, and that’s part of the reason why the program was gradually phased out.

American Airlines had an even bigger red flag.

A frequent flyer bought the airline’s pass for $250,000 and ended up costing the company $21 million.

And so they sued him.