I began traveling in earnest about 10 years ago and went through the levels in order: My first year I hit 25k, the next year I hit 35k, the next 50k, the next 75k, and then finally SE. I've been able to maintain that status for 4 or 5 years now.

The first time I hit SE I felt really pleased. Like many people here, travel and status and points and all that comes with it is a hobby as much as it is work. So it felt good in the way someone whose hobby is photography might feel when they get that epic photo they've been wanting to get or the way someone whose hobby is visiting ballparks might feel when they finally get to a game at Fenway.

I think you can make the case that SE is what travel should be. Traveling without any status and flying the cheapest fares is a pretty obnoxious experience, especially for those who fly often and for great distances. The airlines have stooped lower and lower over the years and made the base experience of flying pretty awful (though with the benefit of democratizing travel). But as you climb the rungs, you get closer and closer to what the flying experience ought to be. SE doesn't grant luxuries, but it does grant privileges that make it far more tolerable and occasionally even enjoyable.

As others have said, the premier privilege is IKK. You'll earn more points per flight if you choose the appropriate benefit and redeem them with a 50% savings on international business class flights. That's a tremendous benefit and one that should grant you some wonderful experiences with family or friends. It's one of the few benefits that you can't get by simply buying business class tickets all the time. My advice: Use it to book flights to the farthest destination you can while you still enjoy your status.