ua1flyer - A "Real" Up-In-The-Air GS
Dec 17, 09, 8:56 pm
#46
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: ord,ewr
Programs: Lifetime UA GS 22 million,AA 1m ,Hilton Li fetime diamond,marriott lifetime platinum hyatt diamond
Posts: 995
No disrespect to the fliers who rack up their miles week in and week out with coach tickets and only praying for the possibility of an upgrade. But when you fly almost 700k....yeah it's 660k+ at this point.......I couldn't possibly do it it in coach.
Last edited by FlyinHawaiian; Dec 18, 09 at 12:44 am Reason: multi-quote
Dec 17, 09, 10:10 pm
#47
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: USA, JPN, GBR
Programs: A3, AA, DL, HH, SK, SPG, UA
Posts: 1,915
Agreed that if he lost his job and had his travels significantly reduced, UA wouldn't hesitate in demoting him (to 1K/1P/GM). BUT, if he's flown 700k BIS (in paid C/F?) this year alone, it's likely that he's a 1MMF (or even 2MMF/3MMF) with a ton of banked miles/SWUs/CR1s. I don't think he'd be sitting in Y for a while. JMHO.
Dec 17, 09, 10:10 pm
#48
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: if it's Thursday, this must be Belgium
Programs: UA 1K MM
Posts: 6,397
If I were the guy in the story, I wouldn't have said anything that could be reported that way (or without further explanation). In fact, the whole thing seems like a conversation that should have been kept between people of similar elite-standing... It just gets too misunderstood outside.
Dec 17, 09, 10:12 pm
#49
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: NYC/PSP
Programs: AA EXP, A3 Gold
Posts: 4,078
Can we get a hint of your flying patterns? Just so curious what kind of routes and frequencies you must be flying. Very interesting stuff.
Dec 17, 09, 10:24 pm
#50
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: What I write is my opinion alone..don't read into it anything not written.
Posts: 9,679
I couldn't help (and I bet a lot of others have too) looking up some of your previous posts. It's nice to see that although your body may be in the air, your feet are on the ground and your head isn't in the clouds. Amazing to me how some people think that their airline status trumps everyone else's and that they don't actually fly anywhere, they just lift off the ground and the earth revolves around them.
Congrats on a nice story, and thanks for the business!
Congrats on a nice story, and thanks for the business!
Dec 17, 09, 10:56 pm
#51
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: JAX
Programs: DL Silver Medallion
Posts: 2,671
Dec 17, 09, 11:01 pm
#52
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Chicago
Programs: UA GS 1MM, CM PP
Posts: 688
Congrats, ua1flyer. A lot of air time, but at least you spend it with family. I'm curious whether you feel you receive any special treatment over the typical GS from the average UA employee (i.e. not one you run into repeatedly).
This article makes me wonder whether there are any special tiers or notations within GS that are made known to staff. I say this as a GS-lite (barely requalifying this year) who, like others here, don't notice much special treatment beyond the published GS benefits.
This article makes me wonder whether there are any special tiers or notations within GS that are made known to staff. I say this as a GS-lite (barely requalifying this year) who, like others here, don't notice much special treatment beyond the published GS benefits.
Dec 18, 09, 12:02 am
#53
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Redwood City, CA USA (SFO/SJC)
Programs: 1K 2010, 1P in 2011, Plat for 2012,13,14,15 & 2016. Gold in 17 & 18, Plat since
Posts: 8,792
I am divorced with two sons. My oldest works/travels with me and will become a million miler next month. My fiance has traveled extensively with me for thirteen years and just hit 1.35 million miles, all with me. (at least 50 honeymoons) It's worked great so far! If I couldn't spend that much time with them, I wouldn't travel as much.
I take it you're a shark, not a swan.
Dec 18, 09, 6:09 am
#55
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: London
Posts: 878
Anyone else wonder about this part? Do you think that 8.8m miles with United is really the max out there? Assuming they're talking about lifetime miles, it does sound a lot, especially considering that people have to fly other airlines too.
Dec 18, 09, 7:11 am
#57
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: VCE
Posts: 14,165
I was sitting next to a guy on an LH flight at MEX where they (LH) had sent a helicopter arranged through Mexicana Air Services to pick him up (at his request) from a downtown hotel so he could make the flight- he did pay for it however (~550 USD he said).
Dec 18, 09, 8:30 am
#58
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Mileage Plus, Skymiles, EleVAte founding member, SPG
Posts: 1,910
Dec 18, 09, 8:39 am
#59
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: SAN
Programs: UA 1MM/1K, HH Diamond
Posts: 6,724
A top-end Gulfstream is upwards of $50 million, not including operating costs. Putting aside the fact that it lacks the range for many destinations, this is way more expensive than paying UA a couple hundred thou a year to fly F.
Dec 18, 09, 8:40 am
#60
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: VCE
Posts: 14,165
Very true- even with Netjets (or similar) 25 hours on a larger jet costs ~400K per year.
