I’m dreading the drop from GS to whatever status they may or may not soft land me at, but I would also say - the perks matter and you notice them in part because you travel so much. I have really enjoyed how the GS team handles IRROPS for example - blocking me on multiple flights, etc. - but ultimately IRROPS were most frustrating when you encountered them often enough from traveling so much.
I will say, I’m trying to use as many miles as possible before status drops down because I do think it’s helpful to have status for redemptions (of course GS get additional perks there) and for flexibility around awards and sometimes better availability (not limited to GS/1K).