Really love to not have many status anymore. I cut travel to max once per month and just go for the cheapest flights.

The only thing I will miss are hotel points once I burnt through my gazillions of it.

Although I enjoy traveling, I don't miss flying at all since the beginning of Covid.

I must admit there are many positives without flying (average between 350K and 400K BIS a year before Covid). My life is less stressful. My body feels better. I have more times to do other things.
I learn to work virtually around the clock and can manage my work schedule better. I am also more efficient.
Yes, I still do have work commitments need me to travel, but I am happy and consciously keeping them at minimum this year. I have already paid my due for getting lifetime GS, and GS benefits are useless if I am not flying.
Flying is no longer a big part of my life and I don't miss the GS benefits when I am on the ground.

If business travel is back to normal, I will look at this period (minus the Covid) with fond memories.

The only thing I miss about being 1K is the dedicated phone line. That's it. I used to rely on my now cancelled UC membership to help with cancellations, but I've found over the past year that the automated offers on the UA app work just fine for me. When I watch 1K's trying to squeeze into the boarding lines because the the UA boarding procedures no longer provide for a dedicated GS/1K/First/Business boarding lane, I shake my head in sadness at how UA has so diminished the concept of being a preferred customer.

it is not just the flying - but the overall experiences of traveling someplace new and different and the adventure.
I included this on the UA forum (where hopefully it will stay) because, while I have flown my share of international carriers and other US domestic airlines - for a variety of reasons, I have always flown UA (even before being a 1K) and I always associated them with bringing me home after a long journey.... even after moving away from my "home hub" (Cleveland - and some of you know the stories there) - there is still something about getting on a UA flight heading home..... be it from ORD or DEL or GRU....

I will take 7A and 7B over Row 4 or 5 in narrow body F anyday.

I've been 1K with UA for 16 years. Aside from taking 3 months off during the peak of Covid, I've been traveling my usual amount and made 1K in 2020 and 2021. Prior to Covid, I was clearing about 70-80% upgrades, complimentary and using certificates.
Last year though, UA--for whatever reason--just dropped me 5 spots on the upgrade list and I never clear. Not once.
United closed one of DEN's clubs during the height of travel this year, so DEN is an absolute mess to fly through--and I fly through there a LOT.
I fly to numerous destinations, but UA is really putting a pinch on ABQ and ELP (among others), charging $1100 to fly 2 legs in a RJ200 out to ELP. American charges me $350 for F-Class. Guess who I went with?

Slowly no longer chasing status as it's being given away to just about anyone these days, and the guys that fly a ton get shat on. If UA doesn't want my $30-$50K/year spend, I'll give it to those that do.

When I last dropped from 1K to Plat pre-COVID (largely due to a combination of the increased requirements and more competitive prices and availability of upgrades for international J on BA), I didn’t notice much difference. But I like travel. In COVID, I’m one of those people who redirected funds to paid domestic F, largely on UA. The WSJ had an article about that a week ago. And, oddly, I made 1K by a hair. Nice to have the PPs (I could mainly only use them for domestic upgrades before COVID anyway) and board before group 1, but 1K is not essential.

I’m in a similar boat. Dropping down to General Member for 2022, and lucky to make Silver for next year, unless the pandemic just vanishes in the next few weeks. Was offered to buy up to Silver for >$1100 😆

Unless UA extends the reduced requirements for 1K I will at best make Plat. I feel similar to you in that 1K is "not essential". My wife and I are both 1K and million milers so we are at a minimum gold for life with UA. My wife is in the same boat as I am in as far as reduced business travel so also unlikely to make 1K as well. But really even pre pandemic I have been often buying F when I want F as you do. I my case it is largely with AS which I find has an arguably better product and generally a better price for F than UA . I now find that I shop around airlines more often than I have for years. So if/when I drop out of 1K status which I have been for probably ten years now I don't see a huge change in my "flying life style" but I suspect my over all dollars/miles spent will probably end up being a bit higher.

I can understand the mindset of buying up to F - and all of the options for upgrading with $$$ these days (although I do recall an offer years ago EWR-DEL to upgrade at check-in for about $600 maybe with some miles also from econ to BF...couldnt pass that up... but the question then is how much of a premium is it worth to upgrade.... $1000 to $6000 for a TATL of 6-8 hours - even on a full polaris experience is kinda hard to justify?

but back on this topic - I would love to get back into INT travel - but with everything going these days and the randomness of it all - not sure I have the energy to fight..... sure the IST lounge is nice for a long layover, but imagine getting stuck there with a positive COVID test......when you were negative when you left

I have not taken a flight since March 2020. I might need to take some in the next months and was ready to just be a basic member. But today, I got an email from United welcoming me to 1K. And my wife who was in the same situation of not travelling and was Platinum prior to the pandemic was welcomed to Platinum status. Hopefully these are not emails sent in error.

UA has extended status for many -- https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unit...to-2023-a.html

Note this is does not include PlusPoints in most case unless you "earned" status renewal in 2021

You may find previously unused PlusPoints have also been extend to July 2022 or Jan 2023
Your unused PlusPoints are being extended to Jan 2023 (or July 2022)

I gave up status with 650k on UAL. Now I just buy F when we fly which is rare. Enjoy the freedom of scheduling your route without worrying about status. I still buy food at the airport in case I hate my plane meal.

I think UA is sending these in bulk, whether you've earned or extended - being discussed here - https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unit...l#post33917442.

In my situation, I had gotten one already in April 2021, and then again this week.

I was in a similar situation the OP. I'd have liked to continue with my job that involved travel but it dwindled down to nothing, and it was clear that when it restarted it would be much less. Add that to the hassle of (particularly international) current travel environment. I tapped out, switched to a 100% work from home job, and moved from the DC metro area out west into the mountains for a complete lifestyle change. When my status expires in 2023 I'll not look back. After i burn a million UA miles, ill be happy to be a free agent and pay cash to sit up front with the tiny amount of trips I'll fly annually. Works well since my new local airport is an outstation equally served by the big 3.

Now is an opportune time for everyone to reassess whether a travel oriented job still offers what it once did. For me it does not.