I have been flying for business since 1993. In those 30 years I have achieved the top published elite tier of an airline’s frequent flier program for at least 25 years. Specifically:

1993-1995 USAir - I’ve forgotten the name of the top tier (Preferred Gold?) I believe it was only 50k to qualify.
1995-1999 United 1K
2006-2012 American Exec Platinum
2013-2016 Southwest A-List Preferred + Companion Pass
2016-2018 United 1K
2018-2022 Alaska 75K, becoming 100K when that tier began in 2019
2023 United 1K

I’ve never made an unpublished top tier, and I’ve never been elite on Delta, but I think I’ve had a pretty good view of the airlines I’ve flown through the years. Particularly I’ve seen how they treat their very frequent fliers.

I have to say that United 1K back in the late 90s was pretty special. I think I first qualified for 1K in late 1995 and I believe it was one of the first years they offered it. It was something like what I think GS aspires to today. There were secret rooms in the hubs that you could go to with bottled water, bagged snacks and the most wonderful, resourceful, intelligent agents who could make any irrops problems go away instantly. There were 1K agents who wore carnations in their lapels and met you on the jetway to help with connections and any changes. One met me on a jetway in Stapleton and drove me in a golf cart to a Continental flight. I know I was the only connection on my delayed flight from the East that made it out of Denver that night. There was a tin of chocolate chip cookies with a golden 1K logo on it delivered to my house for the holidays. I don’t remember all the details of upgrades (short and long certificates, right?) but I do remember that my company bought coach and I didn’t sit in back very much, if at all. And channel 9, ah… channel 9 (I know that’s not a 1K benefit specifically, but it made me feel special).

My second favorite was Alaska 100K. I was one of the first (I qualified before they officially announced it). The VP of Marketing called me to ask what they could do better. I only sat in back if I switched flights late and then the flight attendants always asked me what I was doing there and apologized. Whenever I flew with the Missus the flight attendants would make a big deal about what a VIP I was and thank me for my business (they know where the bread is buttered). If you fly coach and are 50k or better they give you a really nice chocolate bar as a consolation. On short hops I was sometimes disappointed with a last minute upgrade because I wouldn’t get the chocolate bar. The flight attendants, for the most part, were really happy to be there.

Exec Platinum in the late oughts was pretty good. Fairly consistent upgrades and the AAngels in the AAdmirals Club could fix things almost as well as the 1K agents. It was definitely the surly attendant days, though. AA’s labor troubles were showing. I did love sitting up front in the MD80s though, so quiet and so smooth.

Special mention goes to Southwest. I’m 6’7” tall so I like some leg room. With A-List preferred I almost always got the exit row seat with no seat in front and even when I didn’t SWA just has more legroom in general. The crew all love their job, and back when I was flying them a lot, they got you there on time. Period.

My revisit at United wasn’t as much fun. I mostly flew SFO-SEA and the flight was half Microsoft 1Ks, so no upgrades. Lots more surly crew. Lots of random equipment changes. Lots of mechanicals.

Now I’m back and looking forward to crossing 1MM soon. If I had stuck with United (not my option, work often chose the carrier for me), I would be over 2MM by now. I’m not in the same league or even the same game as ua1flyer , but I know what he means when he says he’s lucky to have flown as much as he has.