Giving up on 1k, what next?
Oct 19, 2018, 5:23 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: UA 1K, SPG Platinum, Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 568
Giving up on 1k, what next?
Hi, I would appreciate your opinions. I have been 1k for past few years but am not happy with the new spend limit so considering my options. I have 1.3 million lifetime miles and had been working towards life time plat status. 50% of my travel is TPAC or TATL out of SFO, 10-20% is between other continents, the rest to west -east coast and some to rest of US. I mostly buy economy tickets and when have the chance upgrade with GPUs or sometimes buy P or Z biz class. My clients are not the sort who pay for biz. What is important to me is airport status perks and confirmed seats in economy plus seating. Now that international economy flights are just a few hundred dollars, and can buy P class tickets at a good price I do not see point of the expensive GPU lottery tickets and risking not making 15k spend each year (sometimes I do, but not always).
What are your thoughts on what to do? Should I get gold status on another airline like AA (I don’t like them) or should I be looking at status on a foreign airline? What about Alaskan? What do you think?
What are your thoughts on what to do? Should I get gold status on another airline like AA (I don’t like them) or should I be looking at status on a foreign airline? What about Alaskan? What do you think?
Oct 19, 2018, 5:37 pm
#2
Join Date: Jan 2016
Programs: UA 1K; *G, AA Plat
Posts: 1,700
Being SFO based, your choices are severely limited. By shifting from UA (it's possible), you'll likely be going from nonstops to 1-2 stop layovers depending on your destination.
Is that something you're willing to give up? After all, time is money.
Is that something you're willing to give up? After all, time is money.
Oct 19, 2018, 5:39 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,410
You have 1MM and say you value E+ at booking, so I would definitely keep flying UA when convenient. Where do you fly? If there is another carrier that has a better schedule for some of your routes, you could consider chasing the 50k equivalent status on that carrier.
1K is only worth significant effort if you use your GPUs -- conventional wisdom is not to treat them as a lottery but find R space at booking (usually on a flexible vacation). It's easy to get $3,000+ of value out of a set of GPUs this way, but if you travel patterns don't permit it then stretching past Gold isn't really worth it.
1K is only worth significant effort if you use your GPUs -- conventional wisdom is not to treat them as a lottery but find R space at booking (usually on a flexible vacation). It's easy to get $3,000+ of value out of a set of GPUs this way, but if you travel patterns don't permit it then stretching past Gold isn't really worth it.
Oct 19, 2018, 5:41 pm
#4
Join Date: Apr 2014
Programs: DL Gold, UA nothing (ex-GS), Marriott lifetime Plat, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 920
Out of SFO, I would stick with United but give up on the high spend. Focus on the cheapest way to get enough BIS miles for lifetime plat if you want that. Be open to other airlines, but remember that only United operated flights count towards lifetime.
Oct 19, 2018, 5:42 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
What is important to me is airport status perks and confirmed seats in economy plus seating. Now that international economy flights are just a few hundred dollars, and can buy P class tickets at a good price I do not see point of the expensive GPU lottery tickets and risking not making 15k spend each year (sometimes I do, but not always).
Lots of international carriers at SFO have some sort of E+ or true premium economy cabins. Spend the money when it's important to you. Otherwise, enjoy free agency and buy on price and schedule. Investigate a common lounge membership plan.
Oct 19, 2018, 5:56 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: UA 1K, SPG Platinum, Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 568
That does seem to be the downside of Alaska. Shame look so like a good mileage plan. I have Centurion and Priority Pass access. Seems playing the field is my future. Wondering whether should get gold equiv in a particular airline that is not star alliance.
This might be the way, but getting gold on another network also. Can get the BIS miles on UA on the cheap tix and give up on the spend. UAs decision could take my 12-15k spend on them down to 2-5k
LHR, CDG, BRU JKT, AMS, NCL, WAS, SYD and AKL are the main destinations. I tend to book 4-6 weeks out so applying GPUs usually means the lottery. I think putting $12k on UA was where I spent to get the 3k of GPU benefits going to $15k is $3k on the first 3k.
You have 1MM and say you value E+ at booking, so I would definitely keep flying UA when convenient. Where do you fly? If there is another carrier that has a better schedule for some of your routes, you could consider chasing the 50k equivalent status on that carrier.
1K is only worth significant effort if you use your GPUs -- conventional wisdom is not to treat them as a lottery but find R space at booking (usually on a flexible vacation). It's easy to get $3,000+ of value out of a set of GPUs this way, but if you travel patterns don't permit it then stretching past Gold isn't really worth it.
1K is only worth significant effort if you use your GPUs -- conventional wisdom is not to treat them as a lottery but find R space at booking (usually on a flexible vacation). It's easy to get $3,000+ of value out of a set of GPUs this way, but if you travel patterns don't permit it then stretching past Gold isn't really worth it.
Last edited by Ocn Vw 1K; Oct 20, 2018 at 1:10 pm Reason: Combine consecutive posts of same member.
Oct 19, 2018, 6:11 pm
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,410
Absolutely -- at some point you just pay for J instead of chasing GPUs. I personally did a pretty big PQD run last year to keep 1K, but I'm at the max end of the spectrum where I managed to use my GPUs and absolutely will buy J when I cannot.
It doesn't really sound like you have a whole lot of other alliance options that fit your travel unless you're hitting e.g. AMS and CDG a lot (SkyTeam). I am always a little surprised how far out of the way people go to "chase" status. Even with my 1K now I basically never take UA if it's wildly inconvenient or expensive compared to other options; my status means I choose UA when it's roughly the same as the competition. Being SFO captive means that even if UA had no FFP at all, I would likely still fly them at lot since they go where I want to fly.
Oct 19, 2018, 8:20 pm
#9
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: AA Plat, UA 1K>Plat>moving to Silver
Posts: 2,089
Don’t chase status. I know where I want to go, and am willing to buy discount J, upgrade with certificates or miles and copay, and make a connection, to avoid international economy on whatever airline. In my case, that is just usually UA, and I don’t recall ever passing up a decent cheaper flight just to fly UA, so I have made 1K. I don’t expect to make it in 2020, but it won’t change my flights at all.
Oct 19, 2018, 9:29 pm
#10
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: 6 year GS, now 2MM Jeff-ugee, *wood LTPlt, SkyPeso PLT
Posts: 6,526
I have 1.3 million lifetime miles and had been working towards life time plat status. 50% of my travel is TPAC or TATL out of SFO, 10-20% is between other continents, the rest to west -east coast and some to rest of US. I mostly buy economy tickets and when have the chance upgrade with GPUs or sometimes buy P or Z biz class. My clients are not the sort who pay for biz. What is important to me is airport status perks and confirmed seats in economy plus seating. Now that international economy flights are just a few hundred dollars, and can buy P class tickets at a good price I do not see point of the expensive GPU lottery tickets and risking not making 15k spend each year
(2) while I like AS, if you are spending 60-70% of your time on international flights, AS status is worthless to you. No on metal international flights, and very little status benifit on partners.
(3) AA is not really much of a presence ex-SFO, and were you to go for 100K status on them, you would have to connect on every international flight. Plus they have gone 10x in Y on the 777.
(4) I am a fan of DL (like AS I think they are a much better airline) but their status point to get GPU equivalents (at Diamond) is 125K miles. If you can hit that, I might consider them, their lounge ex-SFO is nice and you can access it with a AMEX PLT Card. They give only 4 "Global Upgrades" but they can be used on any fare, so no "W lottery", and they can be used on other airlines (VS, AF/KLM, and now I understand Korean). That said, unless you are flying their partners, to where they are going, I would not mess with it.
I think your best option is to just give up on status. If you can just buy a discount J seat, or PE, and you get the same benefits you would get on UA. And if UA's price is right, well then fly them with you current lifetime *G benefits. And if you can't pay for J or PE on a trip, fly UA (you will get E+, although it is getting worse and worse ex-SFO as 10x rolls out) or just pay for an extra leg room seat on whomever is cheapest.
For years UA got 95% of my travel, but I mostly gave up on them in 2013 (I am at 1.99MM) still fly them from time to time domestically or on international trips with the family (or did before they went 10x on the 777 with narrow seating on the B789) and I take DL or AS or fly a foreign carrier (last trips were on CX, ANA, OZ, LH, and in a few days SAS). I find I get better service overall and end up paying less not trying to fly UA.
Oct 19, 2018, 10:11 pm
#11
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat
Posts: 88
As an SFO-based former UA loyalist and currently AS MVP Gold, I would say stick with UA. I had high hopes for AS with the merger with VX. I envisioned a hybrid of AS/VX customer service with a bunch of new routes out of SFO, especially to the east coast. But AS has cut back on transcontinental service post-merger, MVP Gold Guest upgrades are extremely difficult to use, and there have been a lot of service bumps. As an added issue, flying AS from the east coast in the winter can be a challenge-- the bulk of their fleet does not have the range to deal with winter headwinds, which means you might have to do a refueling stop when flying westbound transcontinental.
International partners? JAL and Cathay are good for Asia. But European options went into the toilet when AS lost AF/DL/KL as partners. The bulk of international award space is on British Airways, which means outrageous fuel surcharges.
I am probably going to status match back to UA next year. I enjoyed the AS of 2015, but it is hard to be loyal to AS in 2018.
International partners? JAL and Cathay are good for Asia. But European options went into the toilet when AS lost AF/DL/KL as partners. The bulk of international award space is on British Airways, which means outrageous fuel surcharges.
I am probably going to status match back to UA next year. I enjoyed the AS of 2015, but it is hard to be loyal to AS in 2018.
Oct 19, 2018, 10:45 pm
#12
Moderator: Luxury Hotels and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Palo Alto, California,USA
Posts: 17,854
BA and Virgin Atlantic are alternatives to UA to London (and hence Europe). UA is getting a lot slower to match lower J ticket prices these days than these carriers.
Awards on BA and VS should not be used to Europe because of absurd YQ payments required. But BA awards can be used on JAL and VS awards can be used on ANA, so they are useful for Asia.
I am also a former many year UA 1k who left during the Smisek era and, like Mahasamatman, I've never felt the need to look back.
Awards on BA and VS should not be used to Europe because of absurd YQ payments required. But BA awards can be used on JAL and VS awards can be used on ANA, so they are useful for Asia.
I am also a former many year UA 1k who left during the Smisek era and, like Mahasamatman, I've never felt the need to look back.
Oct 20, 2018, 12:28 am
#13
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: USA
Programs: UA Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,194
It's not clear to me that there's a big distinction between Platinum and Gold and as you said, J class can be obtained fairly easily these days. You've already qualified for Lifetime Gold on United with 1.3 M BIS miles so it seems to me the questions are
1) do you have viable flight options for your normal travels other than United?
2) can you achieve and maintain the elite status you want on another airline with your normal planned travel?
3) will using your Lifetime Gold status to get E+ when you do travel United be sufficient?
If the answer to any of the questions above is "no", you should consider staying with United but if all three are "yes", go ahead and pursue your other options.
1) do you have viable flight options for your normal travels other than United?
2) can you achieve and maintain the elite status you want on another airline with your normal planned travel?
3) will using your Lifetime Gold status to get E+ when you do travel United be sufficient?
If the answer to any of the questions above is "no", you should consider staying with United but if all three are "yes", go ahead and pursue your other options.
Oct 20, 2018, 5:18 am
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
That's a pretty good Delta/SkyTeam destination set. Delta partners Virgin Atlantic non-stop to LHR, AF non-stop to CDG, KL non-stop to AMS. Delta SFO-LAX-SYD, or partner Virgin Australia on the LAX-SYD segment; China Airlines SFO-TPE-JKT. Delta's equivalent of the GPU (the GUC) is usable with fare restrictions on AF, KL, VS, Korean, and AM, but - as noted above, is only available at the Diamond 125K level.
Oct 20, 2018, 6:09 am
#15
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Haze gray and underway
Programs: UA 1K 2MM, HH Diamond, Marriott 'clink clink' Titanium
Posts: 1,784
I gave up ‘chasing’ 1K a couple of years ago and I’m still a 1K. I’m a MM’er in an AA hub. I comparison shop economy tickets balancing AA price, schedule, on board service and a mostly nonstop service against UA status, 1stop service, seat selection, upgrades and international destinations. Focus on getting there with whatever your prerequisites are and let status fall where it does.