Will the "investment" to earn UA MMer and higher have been worth it?
Apr 30, 2020, 10:36 am
#31
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2003
Programs: UA*Lifetime GS, Hyatt* Lifetime Globalist
Posts: 12,322
Like others, I never consider it is an investment to achieving MM status.
I picked United after entering the job market because it flies to places with the most convenient schedules that I need to go for work. Once I moved to a United Hub city, I went with the flow. Status and RDMs came without too much planning and engineering like some of the die hard frequent flyers. My focus has always been flying for work with minimum hassles and airlines elite status can reduce those hassles.
Once you have a family, you want them to have the same benefits and thrills when they travel leisurely, so you shower them with upgrades and taking them to locations that can be expensive to fly to without the award tickets.
MM status is a badge for the flyer and it is up to the individual flyer to utilize the benefits that come with it. In my case, it is a reward for all the flying I have to put up with for my chosen profession. These benefits are worth nothing when one is not traveling, so it is not an investment in my mind.
I am a former multi-marathon runner, so I tend to look at achieving MM status comparing to running marathons. You don't get any rewards or benefits from finishing the marathon. I enter to run marathons so I can get myself out of the couch/chair/bed to exercise regularly and eating right. Without a goal to aim for, it is hard to motivate myself to exercise regularly. The actual flying for work is not too bad and often enjoyable, but the stress of challenging work assignment, time pressure, difficult people to deal with make the whole business travels experience hard to absorb sometimes. I look at MM status is a reward for my dedication to my work commitments, just like finish running a marathon is an annual self-recognition for getting my body to exercise and eating right regularly.
Ironically, my averaging annual 350K BIS flying is the main reason I am no longer running marathons. I'd be happy to fly a lot less and invest in my body instead.
I picked United after entering the job market because it flies to places with the most convenient schedules that I need to go for work. Once I moved to a United Hub city, I went with the flow. Status and RDMs came without too much planning and engineering like some of the die hard frequent flyers. My focus has always been flying for work with minimum hassles and airlines elite status can reduce those hassles.
Once you have a family, you want them to have the same benefits and thrills when they travel leisurely, so you shower them with upgrades and taking them to locations that can be expensive to fly to without the award tickets.
MM status is a badge for the flyer and it is up to the individual flyer to utilize the benefits that come with it. In my case, it is a reward for all the flying I have to put up with for my chosen profession. These benefits are worth nothing when one is not traveling, so it is not an investment in my mind.
I am a former multi-marathon runner, so I tend to look at achieving MM status comparing to running marathons. You don't get any rewards or benefits from finishing the marathon. I enter to run marathons so I can get myself out of the couch/chair/bed to exercise regularly and eating right. Without a goal to aim for, it is hard to motivate myself to exercise regularly. The actual flying for work is not too bad and often enjoyable, but the stress of challenging work assignment, time pressure, difficult people to deal with make the whole business travels experience hard to absorb sometimes. I look at MM status is a reward for my dedication to my work commitments, just like finish running a marathon is an annual self-recognition for getting my body to exercise and eating right regularly.
Ironically, my averaging annual 350K BIS flying is the main reason I am no longer running marathons. I'd be happy to fly a lot less and invest in my body instead.
Apr 30, 2020, 10:54 am
#32
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Virginia
Programs: UA Plat (1MM), Marriott Lifetime Plat, Hertz PC
Posts: 89
Apr 30, 2020, 2:13 pm
#33
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,822
LT 1K's who did not earn 1K or higher in a given year, received 6 GPUs, now they receive 240 PlusPoints (but not the additional 2 RPUs/40 Plus points)
280 PlusPoints if they don't make either Plat or 1K and higner.
May 18, 2020, 4:08 pm
#34
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: USA
Programs: UA Platinum, 1MM
Posts: 13,458
May 18, 2020, 4:40 pm
#35
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: PHL
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum, Raddison Platinum, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 5,268
IMHO, the value of MM actually increases over time since (as a 1MM) I don't have to worry about the mumbo jumbo of requalification, and (by extension) I'm free to fly any Star Alliance that makes sense for my travels. Truth be told, even mileage earning doesn't matter much to me anymore -- Premier status is mostly about being treated like a human being throughout the travel process.
May 18, 2020, 7:15 pm
#36
Join Date: Jan 2018
Programs: UA LT GS | UA LT Club | Marriott LT Titanium
Posts: 1,250
Having passed several United MM tiers, I net out as follows:
1 Million LT Miles - Do try and get it. Will take a lot of hassle out of flying for decades to come
At that point, project forward and continue to loyally chase MM status if you're confident you'll hit 3M LT miles. 3M provides benefits that even the most cynical person would value at several thousand dollars/yr. (280 PP, fee waivers, call priority, generous interlining). Little things like interlining often get overlooked, but they are extremely valuable. They're also complex to negotiate and maintain, which is why UA has a Harvard Business School graduate running interlining.
The 2M and 4M mile tiers aren't that much more valuable than the tiers below.
1 Million LT Miles - Do try and get it. Will take a lot of hassle out of flying for decades to come
At that point, project forward and continue to loyally chase MM status if you're confident you'll hit 3M LT miles. 3M provides benefits that even the most cynical person would value at several thousand dollars/yr. (280 PP, fee waivers, call priority, generous interlining). Little things like interlining often get overlooked, but they are extremely valuable. They're also complex to negotiate and maintain, which is why UA has a Harvard Business School graduate running interlining.
The 2M and 4M mile tiers aren't that much more valuable than the tiers below.
May 22, 2020, 6:38 pm
#37
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K & 1MM, Bonvoy Titanium Elite Lifer, Hertz Prez
Posts: 232
I don't know that it was really an investment, it my case more of a perk of flying so much for business. Being near a UA hub, it was the most convenient airline to use with the least amount of layovers and such so I stuck with UA. I've made 1K every year since hitting 1MM so haven't seen any benefit yet but when I retire in the next 5 or 6 years, those perks will be useful when my status drops down. I'm also a Marriott LT Titanium via the old Starwood program and although Marriott devalued the program greatly, it'll be nice having these status perks to use for personal travel when I'm no longer travelling much for biz (and it is great now not having to chase 75 nights a year at one hotel chain...).
May 24, 2020, 3:53 pm
#38
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Clinging to the edifices of a decadent past from the biggest city in America nobody really cares about.
Programs: (ಠ_ಠ)
Posts: 9,077
Having passed several United MM tiers, I net out as follows:
1 Million LT Miles - Do try and get it. Will take a lot of hassle out of flying for decades to come
At that point, project forward and continue to loyally chase MM status if you're confident you'll hit 3M LT miles. 3M provides benefits that even the most cynical person would value at several thousand dollars/yr. (280 PP, fee waivers, call priority, generous interlining). Little things like interlining often get overlooked, but they are extremely valuable. They're also complex to negotiate and maintain, which is why UA has a Harvard Business School graduate running interlining.
The 2M and 4M mile tiers aren't that much more valuable than the tiers below.
1 Million LT Miles - Do try and get it. Will take a lot of hassle out of flying for decades to come
At that point, project forward and continue to loyally chase MM status if you're confident you'll hit 3M LT miles. 3M provides benefits that even the most cynical person would value at several thousand dollars/yr. (280 PP, fee waivers, call priority, generous interlining). Little things like interlining often get overlooked, but they are extremely valuable. They're also complex to negotiate and maintain, which is why UA has a Harvard Business School graduate running interlining.
The 2M and 4M mile tiers aren't that much more valuable than the tiers below.
1mm / *G for life / gifting status to your partner is a great perk for the 1M threshold.
2mm is the real donut hole in the hierarchy as Platinum itself is a bit of a donut hole in terms of what it is. Is Plat "diet 1K" or sup'd up Gold? The forty PlusPoints are nice perk but the removal of award fee waivers a few years ago really ate into one of the core value propositions of Plat IMHO.
Anyways, my point is 1MM is something worth aiming for but 2MM is kinda "meh" unless it's just a milestone on one's way to 3mm+.
100% correct about 3mm and 1K. Solid benefits there and hopefully UA can continue to defend what 1K can offer (GS-lite?) if they keep the barriers to the status high enough.
I'd also throw out if you've already hit 3mm on UA - and still have enough pep in your step - 4mm for GS is worth pushing for. As someone who's been a GS on and off over the years UA's execution of the program and the benefits it offers are solid and a material step above what 1K offers. That's not to diminish 1Ks, just rather to say GS offers IME that much more than 1K.
May 24, 2020, 5:01 pm
#39
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: IAD
Programs: Free Agent
Posts: 1,937
I'm at 2.6MM, and the thought of flying another 400K BIS miles on United makes my soul hurt. I'll get there eventually being based out of IAD, but with United being stingy with PZ availability and consistently devaluing MP, lifetime 1K is a dubious "investment". I'd rather enjoy my flying experience now on foreign carriers when I can instead of grinding it out on a mediocre airline.
May 24, 2020, 5:58 pm
#40
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Los Angeles / Basel
Programs: UA 1K MM, AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 26,919
I'm at 2.6MM, and the thought of flying another 400K BIS miles on United makes my soul hurt. I'll get there eventually being based out of IAD, but with United being stingy with PZ availability and consistently devaluing MP, lifetime 1K is a dubious "investment". I'd rather enjoy my flying experience now on foreign carriers when I can instead of grinding it out on a mediocre airline.
May 24, 2020, 10:51 pm
#42
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: CLE
Programs: UA GS+LT UC, AA EXP+LT PLT, Fairmont LT PLT, Marriott PLT, Hilton DIA, Hyatt Glob, Avis CHM
Posts: 4,671
Please fix the title to put "investment" in quotation marks.
United has said time and time and time again that lifetime benefits last as long as they want them to last and not a day longer. They have no shame in ending them at any time and they have the track record to prove it.
United has said time and time and time again that lifetime benefits last as long as they want them to last and not a day longer. They have no shame in ending them at any time and they have the track record to prove it.
May 25, 2020, 5:43 am
#43
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 57,559
This has been a very interesting discussion.
First off, MM status isn't an "investment," but it is a perk I'm happy to have received, especially because I knew that when I hit 1MM, I'd never have a shot at 2MM - I knew I wasn't going to be in the workplace long enough to log the necessary miles. My hat has always been off to road warriors like Tom Stuker, because as much as I have enjoyed flying, I would never taken a job that had me flying over 200K miles a year. The years where I would hit 150K were brutal, especially since most of them were earned sitting in back until I hit around 600K BIS miles. From that point life improved, because most of the time I've managed to sit up front, which makes all the difference in the world if you are flying TATLs or TPACs.
At most I have 2 years left in the work force, and even before COVID, my flying had dropped way off, primarily because of different job requirements. I have exactly one short haul trip scheduled in October. That's it for the remainder of the year, at this point. I know that once countries remove border controls, flying will pick up some, but I'll be surprised if we go back to the old days. Telework has successfully replaced many face to face meetings in my line of work, and I don't think we will be jumping on airplanes like we used to.
But I am glad I hit 1MM, and I do hope UA doesn't gut that achievement by making the status essentially worthless by eliminating the perks that we currently enjoy. I'd like to enjoy my upcoming retirement by traveling for pleasure - once we get a COVID vaccine, of course.
First off, MM status isn't an "investment," but it is a perk I'm happy to have received, especially because I knew that when I hit 1MM, I'd never have a shot at 2MM - I knew I wasn't going to be in the workplace long enough to log the necessary miles. My hat has always been off to road warriors like Tom Stuker, because as much as I have enjoyed flying, I would never taken a job that had me flying over 200K miles a year. The years where I would hit 150K were brutal, especially since most of them were earned sitting in back until I hit around 600K BIS miles. From that point life improved, because most of the time I've managed to sit up front, which makes all the difference in the world if you are flying TATLs or TPACs.
At most I have 2 years left in the work force, and even before COVID, my flying had dropped way off, primarily because of different job requirements. I have exactly one short haul trip scheduled in October. That's it for the remainder of the year, at this point. I know that once countries remove border controls, flying will pick up some, but I'll be surprised if we go back to the old days. Telework has successfully replaced many face to face meetings in my line of work, and I don't think we will be jumping on airplanes like we used to.
But I am glad I hit 1MM, and I do hope UA doesn't gut that achievement by making the status essentially worthless by eliminating the perks that we currently enjoy. I'd like to enjoy my upcoming retirement by traveling for pleasure - once we get a COVID vaccine, of course.
May 25, 2020, 7:58 am
#44
Join Date: May 2000
Location: IAH
Programs: UA 1K 2.7MM, Marriott Titanium/LT Plat, IHG Spire
Posts: 3,317
I'm at 2.6MM, and the thought of flying another 400K BIS miles on United makes my soul hurt. I'll get there eventually being based out of IAD, but with United being stingy with PZ availability and consistently devaluing MP, lifetime 1K is a dubious "investment". I'd rather enjoy my flying experience now on foreign carriers when I can instead of grinding it out on a mediocre airline.
Last edited by JNelson113; May 25, 2020 at 9:08 am
May 25, 2020, 9:28 am
#45
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2003
Programs: UA*Lifetime GS, Hyatt* Lifetime Globalist
Posts: 12,322
Being a GS for more than a decade, I have never benefited from the lifetime status achieved at 1, 2, 3 or 4 MM level, and I am half way to 5 MM. The only benefits I got are the gifts I received at each MM level and lifetime UC membership. The benefits of those gifts are inconsequential. Other than the iPad I received, all other gifts are collecting dusts somewhere.
Being grounded for almost 2 months now, those MM benefits and UC membership are useless, and I don't even miss flying. I am actually dreading of flying later this week when I start traveling again.
MM status and benefits mean differently to different people. It only means something if one is flying. The greatest benefit to me is just an assurance of a peaceful mind that one day when I don't travel for work, my lifetime GS status will help with flying experience when I fly occasionally. In the meantime for the foreseeable future, my annual flying activities will negate the lifetime benefits received.
No, it is not an investment. I would not invest in something that has little economic benefits.
Being grounded for almost 2 months now, those MM benefits and UC membership are useless, and I don't even miss flying. I am actually dreading of flying later this week when I start traveling again.
MM status and benefits mean differently to different people. It only means something if one is flying. The greatest benefit to me is just an assurance of a peaceful mind that one day when I don't travel for work, my lifetime GS status will help with flying experience when I fly occasionally. In the meantime for the foreseeable future, my annual flying activities will negate the lifetime benefits received.
No, it is not an investment. I would not invest in something that has little economic benefits.