elCheapoDeluxe

Like I said, if you're flying to get the benefits that makes a difference. But if you're flying to fly, and you're still flying that 60k anyway, I see no reason why a MM would enjoy any more or less his 60k in the back of the bus. I felt no better knowing that even if I hadn't been flying this year, somewhere a computer would still know I was a gold.

I think this entire thing is based on the assumption that MM'ers don't fly much any more (often false - certainly in my case), and the assumption that those who aren't MM's will worry and fly more to maintain a status which they otherwise wouldn't need if they weren't flying so much to maintain a status (sometimes true, but god only knows why).

Baze

You are totally misreading what they are saying. The MM Gold may only fly UA a couple times but gets the Gold benefits including lounge access international. The non-MM needs to fly at least 50K and spend $6K to get those same benefits. The MM would probably be ok on an occasional UA flight not getting a CPU but getting the other benefits. The non-MM would be in the back a LOT more than the MM gold just by virtue of having to be on UA more to get the Gold benefits. Not getting 1 or 2 or 3 CPU's as the MM is much more tolerable than being in coach 30 or more times and not getting CPU in order to get the same gold benefits. They never said the MM Gold flies the same amount as the non-MM gold. Don't know where you read that into the equation. They even used the word occasional for the MM gold and you even quoted that word occasional.

elCheapoDeluxe

I quoted it because it is wrong. It is an assumption. Show me where people who are MM are lighter-than-average fliers? For people who actually fly, the experience is identical.

1Ksucker

I have been 1K 10+ years. 2015 flew 103K PQM and had $8.7K PQD. Didn't realize I hadn't hit the PQD threshold of $12K (my bad), and got knocked back to Gold. Ouch. Called to complain and request 1K, they granted me Plat. Could be worse, I guess, but giving serious thought to going with AA given other comments in this thread re: odds of successful upgrades, which is what makes the biggest difference for me.

But I harbor no illusions that AA is radically better otherwise. Just varying degrees of suckiness. Constantly amazed by UA's lack of interest in maintaining longtime loyal customers.

Baze

They did not say the MM was an infrequent flier. Just on UA occasionally. That MM is probably flying other airlines too. MM may be retired and not flying much anymore. Lots of ways a MM could be an occasional UA or even just a generally occasional flier. You have blinders on and are thinking way too narrow in the scope of the discussion. If you don't get it now there is no sense in my saying anymore. Believe what you want.

mecabq

I will likely fit into this category: flying much less than 50K per year on United, but occasional domestic flights which will give nominal Gold benefits, and occasional short-haul flights in Europe and Asia on Star partners.

Even if I continue to fly 100K+ per year across all airlines, I can shift the business away from United (and not have to worry about 016 ticketing on partner flights) with less cost than if I were not Gold.

LIH

Agreed. MM status makes it much easier for me to fly non-UA metal. In a previous life I would have concentrated my travel on UA to keep 1K status. Now I just look to buy cheap FC fares on whatever airline and book UA when it either fills that cheap FC bucket or when no one else does. If I didn't have a guarantee base of Gold I'd likely still feel some pressure to concentrate flying on UA even when they weren't the cheapest FC option.

escapefromphl

They are both in my opinion smarter than the 1K's/MM who have seen their upgrade percentage drop precipitously but don't adjust their spending behavior at all. Even if you are no better off in terms of benefits it at least a sends a message in the only language they understand which might just get through.

Bruin1K

You guys all said it for me even though I said it for me! A MM doesn't travel less but it's not caged and it's free to fly anywhere with anyone!

Kacee

Indeed. And there's no longer any benefit (in terms of status) to flying less than 75K PQM on UA in any given year, which may further encourage straying to OAL.

otoh, the Gold benefits are pretty meaningful, particularly if I'm flying Y. If I'm choosing Y on UA vs. AA or DL, that's a no brainer with free E+, checked bags, and premier access.

Bruin1K

Not to mention access to star gold lounges. I have club membership which gets me into business lounge in FRA but I can only go to the vastly superior senator lounge with my star gold status and 016 can suck it!

channa

True, though with Amex Plat and Priority Pass, my use of the UA Club is now very infrequent. Even when I do have access through *G, I often don't use it.

Kacee

Much more of a benefit internationally, IMO.

cyborg

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Kacee

Which is why I left VX and B6 out of that calculus All else being equal, I'd rather fly B6 in Y t-con (even more space) over a dark UA 739 in F.