Similarly, I used to think coffee wasn't very good... before I had good coffee.

Let's put this thread on ice and come back to it when you've had even mid-tier status for a year.

I am AA platinum and I only got it for the 100% bonus. I'm supposed to get comp upgrade on Y and B fares, but I only receive it IF they SELL my seat. There have been times where there were empty seats in first class and I didn't get upgraded. I've asked the gate agents for comp upgrades and they tell me I'm not eligible even though the AA website says I am for Y and B fares. I have tried to educate them with no success.

Travelling without status is fine BUT travelling with status is much better.

To me, it is the upgrade thing which is overrated... For domestic flights, I really don't care about upgrades.

But what makes Elite status worth it for me are 100% bonus miles, SDCs, lesser fees, free checked bags (if I need them), elite check-in and security lines. If I get to the top tier elite status, I would definitely appreciate the ability to book and cancel award tickets at will.

For me, flying in First or Business is nice, but if I don't get upgraded, I still get the choice of the best seats in Economy... but really it's the other things that make it worthwhile. When things go wrong, I get incredibly good customer service, If I miss a connection due to weather, I get the paid for hotel while others may sleep in the airport or have to pay for their own hotel. I can SDC, and for me one of the best things is I can change the award tickets as often as I want. ^

Honestly, I think that having status is so much more than just getting free upgrades.

Unless it is a bulkhead in row 1 of a 2-cabin plane As much as I hate bulkheads I would rather have a row 1 bulkhead in first class than an exit row in coach

I was "upgraded" once from an exit row to FC and was stuck with a bulkhead seat - I regretted it. The meals are worth less then $10 to me. Granted the seats are way more comfy, but it gets back to leg room and a place to put my laptop bag.

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Someone flying 60K in 2 years won't really understand or appreciate the benefits of being an elite flyer. The perks don't kick in often enough to feel like it makes a difference.

If you're up in the air every week for 4 or 5 hrs a time, or monthly trips that run 8 hours or more, the perks of elite status makes more sense and feels more necessary.

For my flight Sunday I was happy to have a bulkhead in First. We landed a little after midnight and it was nice being the second one off the plane since I had a long drive home. Since it was a 4 hour flight the free IFE and meal (even though it wasn't that great) was nice. Just too bad I had to drive home and couldn't enjoy the free booze because the flight attendant was continually going through the cabin refilling wine glasses.

If it is a an hour flight on a small aircraft then I could see people wanting an exit row over a FC seat, but I still prefer a bulkhead first to a coach exit row even on a short flight.

I completely agree unless your a full time road warrior for work or travel every week the benefits would not be known, plus with all that I have read regarding airlines upgrades for members you might as well not have any expectation so you are not disappointed.

You're not a frequent traveler when an university student that goes home to HKG from YVR for summer and CNY flies more BIS than you.
Add in some cheap MRs from SEA on UA/US and you had AC Elite/*G.
(Had because now AC is 50% miles, hence why I fly CX that route.)
In 2003 I made Elite spending less than $3K.

Got a good laugh from this title... I guess it is a case of "the man" keeping you down...

I spend an average of 12 hours a week either in the air or interacting with my airline. Yes, UA is going through some merger hiccups right now and to the leisure traveler it would not be a big deal. However, it is about quality of life. If there is a delay or cancellation then I have a vastly larger option pool than the leisure traveler for getting to my destination. I can think of many instances when this was the case. One in particular...

A few weeks ago when the FAA's ground control operations center in NJ/NY was struck by lightning the eastern seaboard was a mess. Due to my status, I was able to get routed through a *A carrier and be back home that night. The rest of my team(none have status) were stuck in the Northeast for an additional 48 hours because of the chaos that was created.

The more traveling becomes a part of your life... The more these fringe benefits become an asset. Yes, upgrades, priority boarding, no bag fees, shorter security lines are great. It is when the system gets out of sync that the status becomes truly valuable and appreciated.

Pick an airline and stick with it. Eventually, you will see the true benefits that are not written on paper...

Up until the last AP point change for TPAC Tango fares student from YYZ going back to HKG summer and CNY will make AC Elite/*G without any MR.

Well, traveling IS much worse without elite status. At least for me, as a small women. I have flown Southwest before. Not only is it the same price (or more expensive) from MSY, then because I am a small woman, I am shoved aside. Because I am small, they let the 400 pound woman sit next to me and they DON'T ask her to buy a second seat because she can sit on me. No amount of once-in-a-blue-moon news stories where they remove Kevin Smith from a plane to get publicity can replace the reality of my experience on Southwest Airlines. They don't treat small women fairly or decently. Or at least they didn't in 2003. I would be afraid to ever try them again.

Flying Northwest, KLM, and now Delta, I am treated with respect. I get upgrades, exit rows, or economy comfort. I frequently get lounge access. I get free drinks and sometimes food. But, most important, because of the upgrades and exit rows, I am not shoved aside as a person of no importance who should be sat on, as I was on Southwest. I may get dirty looks from other passengers who think a small person should not get a good seat if there is a tall person on the plane, but SkyTeam respects the value of my loyalty. If I'm flying every month, and the 400 pound lady flies once in a year (it was probably less than that, judging from my conversation with her), then she should not be entitled to better treatment than I get based solely on the fact that she's larger than me. Survival of the big and strong should not be the rule of thumb on public transport.

Being Elite makes a great deal of difference in how you are treated and whether you are respected if you are from a group of people that is traditionally disrespected and shoved aside, as I am, being a short female.

If you get treated the same on Southwest or these other "junk" airlines as I do with Elite status -- then good for you. My experience was otherwise. Very much otherwise.

As for millions of people without Elite status are just fine, it depends on what your definition of "just" and "fine" is. Millions of people don't fly at all. Millions more fly only when need be and are miserable, terrified, and complaining the entire time. Those long lines of people waiting in the "cattle line" to get screened for Southwest Airlines don't look "just fine" to me.

Until you have airline elite status, you won't know what you're missing. If someone didn't have eyes or ears or a tongue, the person wouldn't think anything of it...until the person acquired eyes, ears or a tongue.

The whole air travel process is way more comfortable, faster (due to shorter check-in lines) and cheaper (due to having various fees waived) and less stressful due to having elite status.