Why not track frequent flyer hours not miles? Essentially, pay us for delays.
Instead of posting miles on a person's account, track the cumulative time between when the door closes at the start of the trip until the door opens at the end of the trip. For example, last night's flight from Atlanta to Chicago was diverted to Tulsa,OK to be refueled before heading on to Chicago. The total flight took about 2x the amount of time originally scheduled (ignoring the fact that boarding was 1 hour late). Given how painful this was, I would have liked to receive double credit for the flight.
While this system would penalize airlines for weather, they could easily factor in an average weather delay adjustment when creating awards. Airlines could give higher paying customers a higher multiple of hours for their trouble (though somehow I think 1st class is a bit less painful during the delays). This system should encourage shorter flights, which may or may not be in the airline favor. The disadvantage of tracking hours would be informing frequent flyers just how much time they spent in the planes.
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Im for the general concept. But will the airlines bite, especially when their strapped and on the verge of bankruptcy??
How about getting a few extra miles for showing up early at the airport before flights. The airports, not the airlines, could give customers frequent flyer miles for showing up extra early. Thus using more of the restaurants and shops before a flight.