UA_Flyer

If the rumor is true, United will likely lose me as a premium cabin passenger.

I am about 500k short of 4 MM and making lifetime GS is a goal. I am already lifetime 1K and spend about $100K+ a year on UA metals.

If this change does take place, NH, CX and SQ will likely getting my transpacific business and LX, OZ or BA will get my tranatlantic flights. There is no incentive to fly UA as a lifetime 1k.

Alternatively I will just change alliance altogether to go with AA/Oneworld and secure top tier lifetime status with AA (if there is such a tier).

SAT Lawyer

I have nearly 800,000 lifetime flight miles with UA. I would have well over a million already, but for several very frequent flying years, I flew CO, but credited NW. If this rumor proves true, this will be the straw that breaks the proverbial camel's back for me with respect to loyalty to UA. Lifetime Gold is a worthwhile aspirational benefit because of the Star Gold benefits that come with it; Lifetime Silver isn't worth squat.

Rhyick

This would be a pretty big hit as gold is worth something -- at the very least you can take advantage of Star Alliance Gold benefits. Silver is just useless, and you can get equal or better benefits by opening a credit card.

zrs70

Will they be grandfathered in terms of receiving the upgrades as well? Or only in terms of maintaining their status?

With 8,000 miles to go, I will hit 2MM later this month when I travel to HKG. I am hoping to receive my yearly CR1's (I forget what they are called now).

Also, before we get bent out of shape....

This is a rumor by a new member. It's a friend of a friend....

spin88

When you posted this, it tipped this roumour into "its true." This is just the sort of short term, balance sheet idea that flourished under Jeff and his Smith Street Band. They can all pat themselves on the back for the "miles we don't have to give away" meanwhile they lose another yet larger group of high value fliers. Super Savvy.

I also understand that Oscar had frozen all of these "changes you will like" to do a deep dive into what was driving away so much business.

Me, 80-90K, I'm not really counting, short of 2MM on UA, and have always figured I would go back when United was down and out due to losing so much revenue, and finally improved things. But take away that goal, there is zero reason for me to ever go back.

TravelinSperry

Wow. I wonder if this is true when it would go into effect? For Jan 1 2016? that's terribly short notice if true. I'm 24,000 miles short of 1MM. I chased it for the Star Alliance Gold benefits. Silver for 1 million butt in seat miles over 15+ years? Especially when a $95 cc gets basically same thing for doing no flying.

Well, the only saving grace would be i wouldn't have to push to fly United anymore. I still would - when it made sense only. But now I actually fly them over other airlines even when somewhat pricier and even with 1 stop. No way I'd do that if I was just Silver.

Remember folks... lifetime benefits don't mean much. Programs can shift, change, companies are bought/sold. Just enjoy em while you have em. They won't last your lifetime I can guarantee that.

RTWSTARALLIANCE

I know there has been talk about raising the GS MM mark. Eliminating the chance to achieve for life does not surprise me. Invitation only puts it fully in UAs control with all its mystery. Good speed to all after this goal.

fireflash

Well, the rumor says the current MM members will be grandfathered.

TennisNoob

If this comes true it will effect exactly when Oscar is back right?

TravelinSperry

Perhaps. Til they aren't. And/or until the Gold benefits are reduced. Oh they'll still call it Gold. But we'll get less.

And of course this doesn't help people who are a few thousand miles short when they announce (like me)

FlyingIsCool

I'm only at 400K lifetime miles but pretty proud of it given that I'm 30 and all the flying has been done in 9 years while I was an undergrad and graduate student. I'm looking forward to the day that I would reach the 1MM mark (depending on work, it can be in the next few years), and that is the only reason why I still fly UA. But if 1MM is going to be lifetime Silver, I'll probably stop chasing status with UA altogether.

Next week I will have my first flight with AA/BA (got their cheap business class transatlantic sub-$2000 fare). Is this the start of something new for me?

higgsjoa

Wow. Longtime Flyertalk lurker, short on posts. I tend to post only when I'm truly aggravated and this is one of those times. I'm of order 150k miles away from 2 MM. With my flying patterns I'll get to 2MM in early 2017. That has been a goal in front of me for the past couple of years and is one of the reasons why I have stuck with UA. If this is true, why should I bother? The joke will be on me for not having switched airlines sooner.

iluv2fly

When they first announced that 4 MM would be lifetime GS, I knew it was too good to be true. What were they thinking, I thought. But what the heck, that's what they announced.

So I hurried this year to make 4 MM and I guess that may have been a good decision on my part. As long as they don't renege.

texasex95

I'm going to be 10K short of 1MM this year and was planning on reaching the 1MM status in Jan 2016. If this rumor is true, I really hope UA does the right thing and gives a month or two warning of the changes and even takes the time to e-mail those of us who are this close to the next million mile mark with some sort of incentive to make it happen...double EQMs or double BIS miles....something that would show some sort of heart for our loyalty.

Hopefully the devaluation never happens but with all of the frequent flyer changes over the past few years, it's definitely something the post-merger United would do.

sinoflyer

I'm sitting in the CA domestic lounge in PEK right now because of *G. (Well not really, since I'm still 1K for a couple more months before dropping down to Gold.) Hopefully the grandfather clause is true, or better still, that this rumor never comes to fruition.