spartacusmcfly

I'm not trying to offend. I applaud you're will, but your plan doesn't make sense. Here's why:

1. The easiest BIS miles from SFO is SFO-SIN-SFO (17K BIS miles).
2. To get 420K BIS miles/yr, you'd have to fly 25 times/yr.
3. That is the equivalent of getting on or off a plane to SIN every EIGHT days.
4. You'd have to do that for 8 years straight and it would cost you nearly a HALF MILLION USD.

Assume you did all of that and got GS. The only material benefit of GS 'in retirement' is the ability to guarantee a business class seat anywhere United flies for the price of a W fare. That's really it. All the other perks are for folks who haven't retired yet and are still grinding out business travel. All the other benefits are worthless to you.

Another option for you would be to save the half million dollars and simply buy business class seats with the money when you retire. Business class can be bought on world-class airlines for roughly 2x United's W fare. You could fly in business class, traveling every few weeks, for 2 decades with that 500K USD.

Again, not trying to dampen you enthusiasm -- I actually applaud it -- just trying to interject a bit of logic. Good luck with whatever you decide!

UA_Flyer

As you have found out your math is incorrect. You need almost double of the above to get to 420K BIS a year. I have done about 400K+ BIS a year for the past a few years (on (50% UA, 25% SQ and 25% on other *A). It is not easy to do 400K a year and balance between work, home and my own health.

I am already a lifetime 4 MM GS. While my family and I are enjoying the benefits, I am not sure the status will benefit me when I retire. I like to slow down t (from 400K a year) to less than 100K for leisure travel while in retirement. I obtained my lifetime GS status because my employers over the years required me to travel for work. I hardly financed my own pursue of lifetime GS. $50K a year for 8 years is a lot of money, and factor in time value of money and inflation, you are talking about investing about $1/2 million of your own money for a lifetime status that UA may not even be granting you 8 years down the road, if rule changes. Unless you have $ 1/2 million to burn, I agree with your wife.

sbm12

I'm not "down on United and/or GS" really. More that I understand what it costs to just buy what you want going forward. And it'll be way cheaper than getting GS this way, plus adds a TON of flexibility to your future travels.

What's the real value of being GS in retirement? Just buy the business class fares you want on the airline that has a convenient schedule and good prices. Given that your estimated earning potential is roughly half what you were working for in the early calculations I'd bet you end up tens of thousands of dollars ahead with this approach versus "buying" the status over the next 8 years. Even as a lifetime GS you still have to buy plane tickets. And if you pigeon-hole yourself into only (or predominantly) buying United in retirement you're risking a lot with minimal upside.

Put it another way: What are the GS benefits that you plan to take advantage of in your retirement years. And what cost are you willing to pay for them?
And only in limited volume. GS does not mean unlimited GPUs.

zambonisk

As a 4.5 MM lifetime GS, if I were where you are with only 350,000 BIS miles, I'd save the money you are planning to waste on flying 3.6 Million BIS miles and instead just purchase J fares on other carriers once you retire. While GS is nice, it's not worth the time nor money you are looking to spend just to get lifetime GS. Just my 2 cents.

zrs70

My two shekels of caution: UA might change the program at any time. The rug may be pulled out of the 8 year plan along the way.

laxmillenial

+1

spartacusmcfly

Unlikely. As structured today, LT GS takes a heavy flyer 25-30 years to achieve. If they made it 5M, it would take ~40 years to achieve.

At the end of the day, FF programs are marketing programs with a heavy 'aspirational' component. If your aspiration, is so far out of reach that most folks don't bother, the marketing program has failed.

This thread is a case and point. OP is seriously considering spending $500K for GS status. Doubt he would have bothered at 5M...

TA

Yeah, just spend the $ for business class seats when you actually want to fly. You won't be tied to crappy UA in your retirement, and you'll have saved money and time.

joe_miami

When I first read this, I thought the comma was misplaced in your lifetime number and that you were at 3MM+.

Since you're not, this is quite possibly the craziest idea I've ever seen on this site. Why not just get the Pass Plus when you retire? How could Lifetime Globalist possibly be worth what it would cost you to obtain it?

The OP is 3,650,000 miles away from 4MM. What's another million?

saltytheseagull

This is a ridiculous waste of money. Just buy J/F fares on the airline(s) that work best for you.

Lomapaseo

United GS won't last til your retirement, it's their lifetime, not yours that counts

Collierkr

rankourabu

Why is this thread titled "fasttrack"?
"It should be 8 years of expensive misery"

if you have $400k to chase some status that may btw be yanked at any time, why not just buy J/F (or the miles for such) on real airlines.

Aussienarelle

I want to provide a different thought for you, although we should have stretch goals and your goal is Lifetime GS.

With the money you plan to spend I am with the others who suggest buying J/F and I would do this on UA metal to get to 1MM so your wife can get the matching elite level of you (happy wife, happy life) and then travel enough each year to make 1K. Since it is all on your own dime GS is a big spend but 1K is achievable each year. Currently 100PQM + $12,000 PQD.

The only differences I see between 1K and GS IMO, but your priorities will probably differ significantly to me:
1. No GS agent to greet me off a plane and walk me to a gate. This is not a huge issue to me as I am fine to walk on and off flights by myself
2. Limo service for connecting flights. I actually enjoy the walk since I sit for so long on planes
3. Reserved area in lounges. I can generally find somewhere to sit
4. Access to UGs. PN instead of R. This is the only real significant difference to me, however I have some flexibility in my travel plans so try to fly during midweek so I have a great chance at the GPUs. I was able to use all my GPUs and RPUs last year.

Good luck with traveling to reach your goal and have fun while pursuing your goal!

littlegreenmen

Invest the 50k/year. In 8 years if you are traveling heavily in J (with the money you invested) you and the +1 can easily earn GS or the equiv (if it exists and is still worth it to you).