Life after 1K
 

There is a good chance that I will be starting a job working at REI: This means that my opportunity to travel as often as I would like will be severely curtailed. Having made 1K just before going into lockdown, I wanted to get people's feedback on their experiences of life after 1K. The one perk that I have enjoyed most about 1K is the pre-board privilege. Even when flying in a premium cabin, I always enjoyed not having to queue up in line but could simply saunter on-board at my leisure. Do any of you miss this perk of being 1K at all? Or is it simply that you have simply gotten over easily enough during your travels?

Thanks to those who are willing to share their experiences.

I have slowly worked my way down the UA FF programs from GS to 1K to almost certainly gold next year. While I still fly for business quite a bit I had over the last 2 years migrated to flying more with AS and since saw my status with UA plummet. Unfortunately AS during the pandemic dropped some of the routes I flew the most on so I am now back to UA for the most part but that is another long story. I will probably miss the 1K line at the ticket counters/baggage check. I generally check at least one bag and with still no curb side checking available that for me is big as was the separate GS check in lounge at SFO. I can't tell you how many flights I probably would have been late for waiting in the regular line to check a bag. I often board late so early boarding for me is not a big deal. Typically take a aisle seat and have little carry on so no real need to board early.

If I didn't have lifetime status - I'd miss the pluspoints and pre-covid the free food/drink in economy. Pre-Covid I almost never got upgraded without pluspoints so "free" upgrades wouldn't be missed.

I tend to board last and always check bags even pre-covid so early boarding perk was never utilized - I stay in the lounge as long as possible.

Of course I'd miss them thanking me profusely for being a 1K (kidding)

Thanks for sharing. While there is no cub side check at SFO, I would certainly miss that back when I was still living there. As for here at PDX, I don't recall if they ever did have that and if they did, it would certainly be something I would miss since I usually have at least one piece of luggage to check when I leisure travel: Especially when going International to LHR or GVA. Or anywhere overseas really for that matter. I suppose I could try and maintain 1K by travelling up and down the West Coast on my days off: But that really isn't much fun.

I'm in a weird boat this year - I'm lifetime 1mm, made Plat last year, and will qualify for plat again by June.

I have a work trip to ZRH for the end of October that would put me over 13.5 PQD for year (with help of CC PQD, so I need the PQS), but leave me about 8 PQS short of 1K (assuming I don't travel in late summer / fall). At the end of the day, I will probably need to do a short PQS run (4 segments), but hate to waste a day MR for 1K.

Go free agent.

What is REI?

I'm a PLAT now after 1K, I found that the pre-boarding for 1K always made me super anxious as if I wasn't quick to board they would go right over it for inevitable gate lice. Or if it would even be honored, sometimes it was this mad rush just to board the flight.

Of course I miss it, but I'd rather be able to travel as a PLAT (or any status) rather than not travel at all as a 1K. Once you're on board it's all pretty bland afterwards anyway. The only reason my status means anything is so that I don't have to check/gate check a bag.

Recreational Equipment Inc.? Store for outdoor enthusiasts, skiers, mountaineers, hikers, etc.

if pre-boarding is the thing you miss the most. Don't worry ... be a free agent! For me 1K is about the un-published benefits such as leeway in resolving re-booking or operational issues, protection during irops, hotels during weather delays. That is what makes me come back to 1K every year. Well and then there are the Plus Points of course allowing to fly NH/LH F :)

That has not been my experience with 1K pre-boarding at all. Rather, IME it tends to be a tense jockeying for position as everyone waits for their pre-boarding group to be called, anxious they're going to miss the GA's call, and be forced into general boarding (The Horror!).

Given the minimal to nonexistent 1K benefits I've experienced over the past year-plus, I can't say there's really anything I'll miss, except for the short wait for phone support, which is now IME the most meaningful 1K perk.

I dropped to Plat right before COVID. I generally buy F domestic or Business international, and I really don’t feel much difference.

I’m dreading the drop from GS to whatever status they may or may not soft land me at, but I would also say - the perks matter and you notice them in part because you travel so much. I have really enjoyed how the GS team handles IRROPS for example - blocking me on multiple flights, etc. - but ultimately IRROPS were most frustrating when you encountered them often enough from traveling so much.

I will say, I’m trying to use as many miles as possible before status drops down because I do think it’s helpful to have status for redemptions (of course GS get additional perks there) and for flexibility around awards and sometimes better availability (not limited to GS/1K).

I was 1K for several decades (never changed my FlyerTalk handle). Back in the day before GS, 1K was awesome. I remember 1K rooms, easily finding confirmed upgrade space on most routes with little flexibility. All those things slowly disappeared over the years. So when I eventually stoped being able to earn 1K and just had Platinum due to 2MM I realized very quickly that I didn’t miss it that much. It allowed me to fly other airlines and often purchase premium cabin in them. I actually like how with other airlines I do get to Board first when being in first - and I actually resent the boarding process at UA so much that if there was a flight that was UA and also one that was another airline I tend to choose the non-UA flight whenever possible.

1K pre-boarding reminds me of the 3 Stooges "Me First" running gag:

It's become a great opportunity to interact with other anxious and perplexed 1Ks? "Did they make an announcement?" "Who are they boarding?" The answer is always "No idea."