SS255

Polytonic

Considering the (potentially added) cost of flying 1MM, it might be cheaper to just straight up buy a lounge subscription (or get the credit card, for slightly cheaper).

MojaveFlyer

I achieved MM due to many years of flying at what's now called Gold level. My travel was split between work and leisure. I had some years in the 80s when I'd do a couple of transpac trips but mostly transcons between BOS and SFO. Also UA flies to most of the places I like to vacation. It used to be much nicer flying with status and of course that kept me working for status, but I never did mileage runs, I just took what I had. MM itself wasn't really a goal as it didn't really give me anything over the status I had year over year anyway. Then with the birth of a kid I started cutting my work travel way back. Since I'd no longer hit status based on my yearly BIS miles, MM suddenly became rather more valuable to me.
So the main benefits I get from my MM = Gold status are: Getting E+ seats and options for exit rows on booking, Baggage up to 75 lbs (sometimes travel with a bunch of outdoors gear), and *Gold international lounge access. I think they reduced access to some award flights at some point, but I still see them, either because of my status or because I still have a UA-bonded credit card (I think both count so if I drop the card I'm still good?) Having my spouse be Gold as well helps when we don't travel together - she's happier when I choose to extend my vacation solo if she still gets a good seat on the way home.
In summary, I think MM is not worth going much out of your way for, but it always does help to concentrate your flying on one award program if you can.

seenitall

I have obtained MM over the past 30 years by first being a PMCO flyer based in EWR. I can't even begin to count the EWR-DCA-EWR trips that I have made, but each was worth 1000 miles. At 90 segments a year, they add up. But after 9/11, flying this route became impractical and I turned to Amtrak. But then my job moved to DC and began to involve a lot more international travel, so I fell into the lap of UA -- and then the merger occurred and my account values were combined. I count myself fortunate for lucking into accruing most of my flight miles on carriers that turned into one.

wtigerFF

AA counts partner flights while UA only counts BIS on UA/UAX operated flights. AA credit also seems to be based on the marketing carrier. Unless I misunderstood their rules, code shares with an AA flight number count as an AA operated flight although that may just be for Elite status as opposed to MM credit. No idea how they count an AA operated flight with another One World Airlines's flight number. They may all have changed as I don't follow AA's program very closely anymore. I remember being really annoyed that I couldn't get any credit on an BA flight because it competed with AA on the route. Hopefully, that has changed... Anyway, this is what their website says:And up ~2011 or so, AA also counted all miles including those from the AA credit card. They have many MMs who never left the ground.

DL also used to count everything when it was the Delta Frequent Flyer Program, prior to changing over to the Skymiles Program in ~1995

1015-1k

Lani1

I am getting close to 2MM on UAL - the service I receive keeps getting worse

ermintrude

Hello and welcome to FT -

There are regulars on FT who have 900K lifetime miles with UA and have posted that they have switched carriers; supposedly abandoning this goal. UA gold has been greatly devalued over the last few years or so; at least 50% IMO.

The MM status+ is only worth achieving now if it is a natural part of your travel.

Kirby thinks that UA can be successful regardless of the FF program so I expect further devaluations

I think you are better off being a free agent if flying US domestic

deek

I'm slowly, very slowly, closing in on 4MM, but am doing nothing to aggregate my travel on UA. If I knew then what I know now ...I wouldn't be a 3MM UA flyer

FlyerTalker70

8MiHi

Welcome to FT!
I became a MM as a PMCO business flier over 20 years of uneven travel. PMCO was significantly less generous to MMs with status (Silver) but had the companion benefit for spouses.
Do not make getting to MM your goal. Look at it as a by-product of travelling you want or need to do. Let it be a factor in your choice of airline, but not the sole driver.

A long time ago on an airline far in the past, PMUA MM's were entitled to Lifetime Premier Executive (Gold today), two regional upgrade certificates (RPUs today) per year, three 75 pound bags and two E+ seats. There were also some system-wide certs (GPUs) that you got at 1MM and there was no 75K status level to compete with for CPUs. It is my belief that this level of benefits was economically unsustainable in a business model where not going bankrupt every few years was a desirable goal.
The current level of benefits are much more economically rational and still above those of most comparable airlines. I have found the companion benefit makes up for many of the former perks as both of us can bring another traveler to E+ We can have up to 8 on our PNR's to give each two 75 pound bags. Four to six of us can also get into *A Lounges. So while our individual perks were trimmed, flying with a group was made better.
I am travelling much more with my wife on personal tourist trips and appreciate each of the perks more as I near retirement.

Good luck and happy trails!

garykung

Up in the Air.

I believe AA was more generous than UA in the past.

Yes - 1MM can only land you a AA Gold. However, AA counted all RDM earnings for MM purpose, while UA insists on BIS.

This was how the Pudding Guy got the MM status.

EmailKid

Well, my friend was a long time Exec Plat, and his benefits put my on and off 1K status to shame.

However, even as lowly AA Plat for life, apparently gets treated like a King on CX.

Haven't felt the love with anyone but LH, but they seem to do that for EVERYONE

OK, some pretty good experiences with TG, but again, for everyone on board .....

They do now @:-)

PMCO used partner flights and class bonus for lifetime status, and when merging, allowed PMUA fliers to do the same.

In my case, that was a flight on Copa, KLM and NW, along with a bunch of US flights that I credited to UA whose prices were simply uncompetitive.

Regardless, without a merger I'd be a Kettle still, but at 1.15 million .... OTOH, recall both PMUA and PMCO offering double EQMs on some flights, but don't recall if they counted toward MM status. Thanks to those made CO Plat and UA 1K in same year

sbm12

Disagree. Most of the benefits can be purchased ad hoc for less than the "pain" of going out of your way or spending extra to fly a particular airline in hopes of realizing some long-term benefit 5+ years from now in a program that will almost certainly look different 5+ years from now.

LordHamster

Based on current projects, I should be hitting 1MM sometime this year. Within spitting distance now. For me, working in consulting and doing frequent trips to Europe/Asia have really racked up the miles in the last 2-3 years.