Mike Jacoubowsky

This is an odd year for me. First time I've slid backward (aside from the DEQM-induced anomaly of my single year as a 1K). Made *G a week ago.

Any other year, I would have been very unsettled right about now. Thinking about ways to get that 25k for Plat. There's still time, after all. I'd be considering one-way TPAC in biz, return in Y maybe. Finances and reduced benefits for Plat killed that desire though.

But how many might be at, say, 40k miles and not going for *G? Or 65k and not Plat? Are you at peace, or do you visit the Mileage Run forum looking for last-second possibilities?

Do you have family members, like I have, who can't believe I'm accepting the downgrade? That truly think I ought to get out there and fly? That's the weird thing for me. The pressure from my son, my daughter, even to some extent my wife. I think having so many years behind me of deliberate mileage runs to achieve status, they've gotten used to it. They wonder if I'm OK. But truly, I am at peace with this. At least I will be until he first time I find myself in Boarding Group 2 anyway.

What of others?

Baze

I'm at 71K and not going for Platinum. Too short on PQD to make it worth it. I am at peace and actually switching to Alaska Airlines with a status match to MVPG75K. Ready for a change. Will always have my Million Mile Gold to fall back on with UA.

aacharya

I sat at 119k. Did a flight this week and will do a quick one next week to end at 125,550.

Bruin1K

Gonna finish platinum and I won't be 1k for the first time in 6 years. No regrets as my PQD is $5200

Baze

Are you exempt from PQD or are you spending another $3800 on PQD to get Platinum? Or CC waiver?

sakaike

I'm in almost exactly the same boat. Will end up Plat for 2017, after 5 years as 1K. Only $4420 in PQD but will make Plat because of a CC waiver. No regrets at all...

entropy

I'm nonplussed about not gunning for higher status anymore. (I'm a MM, so I've got the gold to fall back on )

Why bother, paying extra, plying suboptimal routings when you today you can pay an extra ~25-50/500 miles and fly up front, rather than play the upgrade game.

Bruin1K

Cc waiver

My pqd was really low but the last 5 months I have only travelled on P fares which goes to show you how cheap these p fares have become!

notquiteaff

What would that Plat status really give you that you couldn't buy next year for the $$$$ spent on a TPAC half-biz-half-coach MR?

Happy with my MM Gold status. See no incentive anymore to aim higher. Reached MVPG on AS because most of my international (long haul) travel was on BA.

Kacee

Yeah I wouldn't stretch very hard for Plat vs. Gold now that they've taken away the free award changes. (And I suspect we're going to see Plats booted from Group 1 soon as well.)

Plat to 1K is a different story IMO.

halls120

I've made Plat thanks to Chase CC spend, and there is no way I'm striving for 1K. No longer worth it, especially since I crossed 1MM this year.

JBord

Completely agree with this.

Hey Mike, I went from 1K to Gold a few years ago. BG2 is perfectly fine, despite what it might look like when you're leaving us in your dust.
I always get my bag above my seat...that's really the only incentive for me in boarding early.

I actually spent the last couple years just below the Plat level (say around 68k, plenty of PQD) and never really thought about making a run for it...just couldn't find enough value in the Plat benefits.

This year I sit at 49k with 10k PQD and will finish at 51k due to reduced personal/international travel. Closest I've ever been over a level since I made 1K at 101k a few years back!

blueman2

2017 will be the first year without 1K or GS in over 15 years!!!! I am settling for PP this year due to moving most of my SFO-NYC business to B6 and SFO-FRA to LH metal.

gene2632

For the first time in 28 years or so I won't have any status. Between being retired and traveling less and UA's wonderful changes over the past few years I have enough miles for Silver but not enough PDQ so the streak ends BUT wife will be Silver because the UA Chase card is in her name so... no big deal. We would have both made the PDQ if UA had been more helpful on our EWR to AMS/BCN to EWR trip. AA offered us Biz seats for the same dollars that UA wanted with a MUA that they wanted to wait list so why tie up 60,000 miles on a prayer?

Mike Jacoubowsky

So far, nobody having second thoughts. That's what I was going for... if anyone was thinking maybe they'd made the wrong decision. Anyone thinking, come Jan 1st, that they might regret not going for it.

Of course UA made it really easy to rationalize the drop from Plat to Gold this year, by instituting new fees on Plats and, if I recall correctly, actually reducing some award fees for Golds. It's not like dropping from *G to *S, or from 1K to Plat. That would hurt!
It's just a bit odd, that UA puts someone with an Explorer card, no matter how few $$$ they spend on it, in the same group as a *G. Subject for a different thread, but I think it would make sense to have BG1 GS & 1K & F, BG2 Plat & *G, BG3 CC & *S, BG4+ based on fare class/timing/whatever.