Originally Posted by WineCountryUA

First, it has always been that way
Second, it should not be easy or quick to get it as it will create future issues / liabilities for the airline -- bloating the elite ranks leads to if we are all special, no one is special.

The present system was set up so it would take 20-30 years to achieve lifetime status for your nominal status level
A Gold at 50,000 miles annually -- 20 years for 1MMer, life time Gold
An 1K at 100,000 miles annually -- 30 years for 3 MMer, life time 1K (10 years for 1MM status for an 1K)
2MMer, Lifetime Plat -- a similarly 26 years

If you did UA only PQPs, and say UA returns to 18K PQPs --- you would be talk over 500K UA PQPs for Lifetime 1K, does that sound easier?

Might help for you to proposed what an alternative path might be and what would be the negative consequences of that proposal.