Sell your soul?
There's a largish airline in the Middle East that started a DEC program around 4 years ago. Previously upgrades were made internally on seniority.
Happily all the BA retirees boycotted said airline.
Hang on! No they didn't!
Since then several hundred F/Os at that airline have been disadvantaged in perpetuity by the arrival of no small number of ex BA DECs (and others).
Open Skies? Bring it on.
Not that I'll be applying though.