CO_Nonrev_elite

Totally agree. I'd happily pay more if I am dealing with a transparent situation, and not dealing with a company that is moving the goal posts back and forth to hide what they are doing.

azzurro

Regardless of PQD thinning 1K ranks or not, 1K's will still not get upgraded on most hub to hub flights at busy times (how many of us are #10-20 on the list for those flights!?), so the only value 1K might have for OP is 10 total upgrade certs that can be used at little more easily on ps flights as long as you can book somewhat in advance or fly at odd times where R class is still available at booking, or play certificate roulette (at least W fare not needed). If you go to Plat status and want the ps upgrade after using your 2 RPU certs, you will need to pay with miles and copay as of next year, where upgrade certs don't appear to need the copay as of yet... so 1K could save you some copay $ if you really want a lie flat F seat.

pnq91

I'm a 1K now but plan to just go to Platinum for 2015. then Silver at most for 2016- only for Award ticket fee waivers in 2015 and economy plus in 2016.
Mostly the only big rewards of 1K I see such as the GPU, I have only been using on JFK-LAX flights since I already have 8 SWU's I can use on AA for any international travel that has had a 100% clearance rate so far. I find Economy Plus to be decent, but paying for alcohol, pretzels, etc is where I have just decided it's easier to do Delta or AA when appropriate. (7/8 and 4/4 on AA and Delta for JFK-LAX complementary upgrades) so this makes my situation more flexible than most people.

I fly pretty much 90% leisure, but a lot, and I find that being EXP on AA or Diamond on Delta have been the best for me in terms of getting any type of special onboard treatment- even something as simple as a "Thank you for being an ___ ." =

On UA to date that has only happened to me once, not to say it is necessary in my book, but I see the incremental value between 1K and plat to be only really worth it if you fly alot on competitive routes/ or full/ high class fare internationally. Even when I had a delayed bag for 2 days on United, I still got $400 in clothing/toiletries/etc reimbursed no problem as a Platinum.

I think in the grand scheme of things, Plat/1K are close enough to each other considering there are still a fair amount of GS members above us. I'm not expecting much of a decline in service dropping to Plat.

I've been lucky enough as a 1K to get CPU's on award tickets to and from SFO from sea or lax, which I usually don't expect..and situations like these have for sure been because of being a 1K since I would clear last on the list, at boarding.

So in hindsight, I would probably not do a $700 MR to BKK for 1K like I did last year again, but it's for sure worth it if it's only a $150-300 away.

02BNFR

I generally agree that 1K does not offer much in the way of value for me over platinum. Most of my travel is SFO-WAS (usually IAD), which is usually full of elites. I think I got 1 CPU in 2014 (on SFO-DCA flight). It is a victory for me to get into the top 10 on the waiting list. Last week, I got all the way into the top 5!

The only consistent value I get now from my current 1K is being reasonably sure to get an economy plus aisle seat with my bag directly overhead (or at least until the late-comers start moving my bags around to fit their bag in).

I have already hit 1K for next year, so I am flying AA (where I am 2 MM) for the rest of 2014 to compare the experience. I suspect that I will continue to fly UA some during 2015 just to get something out of my 1k and then switch completely after that.

mamabear

This is a point I had neglected. I do appreciate the dedicated 1K phone line and the ability to speak to a human (and most often a helpful human.)

roadkit

I've been debating whether to take a MR IAD-SIN to get over the threshold to make 1K for the 10th year in a row. I have a trip in a few weeks that will put me over the spend threshold, and I already have miles for platinum.

This thread has helped me make up my mind: I am going to be just fine as a Plat.

mamabear

Hey, I play this game too!

aacharya

6 GPUs, 2 RPUs, an increase in RDMs, etc - is nothing to sneeze at.

I might not do an IAD-SIN MR to get from Platinum to 1K, but it's easily worth a transcon or two.

I am by no means offering anything to the OP, but anyone who wouldn't take the 6 GPUs and 2 RPUs in exchange for covering something like one or two transcons ($400 to $700) is not thinking benefits versus spend. I'd do it in a heartbeat - and hence why I'll do such a run to renew.

Yes - I know we can talk about TODs, packed planes, loss of benefits....

CO_Nonrev_elite

The loss of RDM's is very minimal. There are only 25k of BIS miles between the two elite levels. The max under normal situations is 25% of 25k miles difference which means it's more or less nothing in benefit.

I agree on the GPU / RPU, but with them getting harder to use for a lot of people, they are no longer as valuable as they once were. We are maybe one or two more devaluations (Can only use on Y,B,M etc) from them being useless.

aacharya

Your math is a bit off for the 2014 MP year and up to March 2015. I think you're thinking of someone who works his/her way up from status when only comparing the last 25K - vs what a 1K and Platinum would actually make.

A Platinum gets 175% of 75K miles = 131250.
A 1K would get 200% of 75K miles = 150000.
Then 200% of 25K = 50000, for 200000 total.

Kber

The reward miles bonus at 1K is nice. My son will be going to school on the other side of the country and it's nice that I'll be able to fly him home or go visit without spending too much.

If he's the one flying, I don't mind booking flights at odd times to be sure there is award space. And he's young and flexible, so economy seating is just fine for him. (Does that make me a bad parent?)

CO_Nonrev_elite

Fair point, I was only thinking about the last little bit between them, although I am still not sure if I think it is worth the extra spend on the RDM in general.

weero

I would entirely agree with you. If it was 2012 of earlier. But both GPUs and RDM have lost almost all of their value to me. The former are hard to redeem and expensive on Asian carriers and GPUs stopped working. RPU may still be intact, I don't know.

So my verdict is that Plat isn't worth it over Gold if you have to spend money and 1Ks isn't much better either.
Again that is only true if these instruments do work and can be spent, then you are right.
People are not just leaving UA because of the PQD requirements and the crippled earnings next year ... so yes, I agree, there should be a lot less elites next year.

And some are elites like me but won't use UA anymore except in rare circumstances.

But if that impacts your upgrades? Maybe on some peculiar routes. The lack of elites will not put pressure on the TOD selling algorithm ... the situation should be much unchanged.

azzurro

To claim victory, I look for some type of benefit. Seeing myself close to the top of a list of folks who could have had that benefit is not victory. But if it makes you feel better to be near the top, cool. No judgment here. I just accept that hub to hub and certain other circumstances make CPU's highly unlikely even as a 1K.

weero

That's because you are still used to actual upgrades or have them in fresh memory.

Once the TODs and fly-once-in-a-while GS have pushed your 2x3 initials entirely off the upgrade raffles screen, you will long for those time when you did not get upgraded but were listed there ...