Originally Posted by WayMaker

The official status in UA Mileage Plus terms is "Million Mile Flyer." This is emblazoned on whatever status card you are issued (either Premier Executive, 1K, or UGS). Million Mile Flyers are assured of lifetime Premier Executive status (of course last year there were repeated comments about "lifetime" referring to either the airline or the customer). 1K or UGS status has to be earned every year. But as long as UA honors it's promises, Million Mile Flyers will have no less than 1P status for life.

With Premier Executive ("1P" in UA, two-digit computer shorthand) status comes 100% bonus for paid travel on UA and many flights on Star Alliance carriers. 1P status is recognized as "Star Gold" by all carriers in the Star Alliance. With that comes extra baggage allowance, priority check-in lines, and lounge access when flying Star Alliance carriers, regardless of the class of service which has been purchased. Pretty cool benefit as long as it may last.

There is some disagreement about whether Million Mile Flyers get any additional priority when it comes to clearing upgrade waitlists on UA. Where it may come down to a gate agent decision, everyone agrees that MM status doesn't hurt. On board UA flights, the Million Mile Flyer status is printed on the manifest used by cabin crew. Where there is a meal choice, Million Milers are supposed to be given priority for their meal choice within their status (in other words, a 1K MM would trump a 1P MM).

For the past two or three years, MM Flyers have been given two CR-1 upgrades (Confirmed Region One) which are confirmable at time of purchase for any one way domestic one-class upgrade, including Hawaii. This happens on January 1, regardless of the amount of flying the year before. This is an unpublished benefit, which means it could disappear any year.

When UA flyers cross the threshold of one million miles in actual butt-in-seat flying on UA, UAX, or TED (not RDMs or bonus miles from credit cards, etc, and not codeshares or partner flights), they are given three Systemwide Upgrades (SWUs). This is obviously once in a lifetime benefit. There is no recognition on UA for multiple millions flown, as on DL. Several FTers have logged two, three or four million BIS miles on UA. They don't get so much as an email for the continued loyalty, but they are 1P for life.