Last week, when Continental Airlines announced that they would be adding a first checked bag fee, they also announced that they would be doing away with the old 500 minimum mile policy for frequent flyers. This is the policy that ensured you could pick up at least 500 miles on a flight regardless of the flight’s actual distance. It’s a policy that made even the shortest hops somewhat worthwhile from a mileage perspective.

Continental Airlines, like US Airways and United Airlines before them, will now base frequent flyer miles on the actual number of miles flown on flights under 500 miles. This means less miles, and it makes those short hops a little less appealing for frequent flyers.

Our CEO took an in depth look at what the loss of this policy means in actual mileage numbers for frequent flyers. The 500 minimum remains with three of the legacy airlines, but with three already going the other way, it might not be too long before the 500 mile minimum is simply a thing of the past.

Read Impact of 500 Mile Minimum Frequent Flier Policy Changes to see how these recent changes can affect your frequent flyer rewards and status.