Why Airline Loyalty May No Longer Pay Off Reward programs have been eroding over the last 10 years as airlines shift their devotion to cold, hard, calculable dollars.

Sorry, frequent fliers: Airlines that once expressed their appreciation for you with free upgrades and miles to spend on freebie flights have turned tepid on the relationship. Frequency, in fact, may be out of style, as airlines shift their devotion to cold, hard, calculable dollars.

Reward programs have been eroding over the last 10 years as airlines boosted mileage thresholds for the purchase of upgrades and flights. But in the past year, several companies took relatively radical steps by raising requirements for high status levels, reducing rewards and generally devaluing points.

United Airlines no longer grants miles on its Star Alliance partner flights unless fliers buy those code-share flights through United itself; even then the airline often awards only partial credit. In 2015, Delta Air Lines will begin rewarding travelers based on the amount of money they spend on their tickets, rather than the distance flown. American Airlines recently overhauled its AAdvantage program, reducing the number of free bags from two to one for lower-level elites, and increasing some mileage levels for free flights.