Originally Posted by
qwicker
While I also agree that benefits have eroded over the years, I still find GS to be a significant benefit compared to 1K (at least relative to today's 1K). I've been 1K since about 2014 only hitting GS in 2020 (where I still am). I find that a lot of the benefits require active participation on my behalf which I do not mind at all. I'm always going to make sure I'm getting the most bang for my buck or using my benefits to the max. I don't wait for GS agents to "find" me or for my GS benefits to just "appear". I know my benefits well and how the rules work (mostly thanks to this forum!). If I call and get an agent who can't/won't do what I need I HUCA and this happens often. I've never not received my 1st meal choice. I'm frequently greeted by GS agents (except at my home EWR where I find them absent except in the lounge or check-in area).
Ultimately, I think it's up to the person to extract the full benefit of GS. It's not automatic in many cases. I can appreciate the frustration if GS benefits used to arrive consistently without any intervention on the member's behalf. But for me, I'm always going to be the type of person who is "active" in this regard anyway so it doesn't bother me too much. Plus, I still find myself pleasantly surprised to see GS benefits appear without needing my intervention (such as proactively protecting me or seeking me out for pre-boarding).
I try this approach most of the time but being active isn't very effective when there's nobody there to begin with. Like I listed in a prior post, I've seen a GS agent at a gate ONCE in 5 years. I can be as active as I want but if there's nobody there, there's nobody there. Playing the HUCA game only works if you have the time to play it and don't mind being labeled a bad customer.by some over zealous new GS agent who believes their job is to deny benefits at all costs.