1k preparing for a hard rough landing......
 

I have been a Premier member for several decades, 1k for the past 6 (20k PQP in 2021) ....about 800k BIS and up until COVID was on track for 1m in a few years......but it seems so much has changed that it is unclear if I will ever get back to my previous traveling habits.....

most of my major traveling - international - was a combination of my money and OPM for meetings/conferences/lectures - trips sometimes not much more than zipping in for a long weekend (36 hours in Bangalore, India from my home in Ohio)... and a lot of domestic longer flights- again for similar reasons.... toss in a few vacations (although some of these meetings have some personal down time)... even some of the more important work-related travel is becoming less and less

fast forward now......

INT traveling appears to be such a hit and miss - and especially if not entirely needed for key work activities (my global hosts are less excited about the risks of bring in people and many of the activities that were done in person - i.e. lectures - are being done virtually) - dealing with visa's, COVID testing, vaccinations (which I am x3), etc - not to mention the costs and growing unpredictability of canceling flights for all sorts of reasons and the difficulty in predictable scheduling (even short domestic hub flights)..... planning for trips is becoming more of a problem, risk of getting stuck somewhere (COVID or other reason) is not easy.....

and yes, I miss the traveling, the challenges of figuring out the equations of flights, connections, upgrades, lounge access.... the perks of *G and UA BF travel.....

my points - and interested in other's comments....... will be lucky to make silver this year....... so far, nothing is planned for the year..... maybe just not worth the headaches anymore?

-michael

I was 1K for seven years, coming down to Plat in 2017 and Gold in 2018. My departure was due to changing travel patterns dictated by a new job, and then, of course, COVID. Started traveling TATL again last summer, and was able to buy up to Polaris for a reasonable amount of miles and $$ for all 6 flights last year. Other than the 1K phone line, I don't miss it at all. I have lifetime *G, and that has worked fine for us so far, and I look forward to some excellent leisure travel later this year after I assume retired status.

of course, if you are not traveling - then you are not traveling and probably dont need the 'perks' (objective) that come with status..... but that is the point, traveling, especially international, either for work, leisure, or hybrid appears to be such a headache... and more so if you dont have "status"

i was a 1k for 10 years and now have nearly1.5mm BIS. i have not really returned to that level travel for almost 5 years due to job changes/covid and don't miss it one bit as most of my miles were domestic. Getting on planes that get more and more cramped and seats that have less padding nearly every week gets old after awhile . my current job if it ever gets back to travel has much less. VFR with lifetime gold benefits (and spouse uses these) is great, particularly E+ and free bags for us. If I travel enough to get to 2mm then great, if not then nbd. I am happy with this as i spend less time in a plane needing the benefits i used to use on a weekly basis. I've also traveled OAL internationally since and know that UA is not that great, it can be but usually not. Enough to know that i would spend my own money OAL internationally and not UA. YMMV.

Your Life Will Be Less Stressful
 

If you don't have to worry about achieving status, you will only take the trips you really want, when you want. That's a lot of pressure removed from your life.
I am only flying domestic, and it really sucks right now. I always fly in paid F (because I was never getting UG'd) and the service is terrible on average. However, the prices are mostly cheap, especially if you have no loyalty to any carrier. I'm only flying so much on UA because their F is the cheapest most of the time, but I also get a lot of miles on AA and DL.

I could fly internationally because I have strong business demand right now, and I'd also like to do a leisure trip or two but, until the testing and potential quarantine rules are lifted, there is no way that I am willing to gamble on being trapped overseas, even though I am triple-vaccinated and even got another experimental vaccine. Everyone around me is getting sick with Omicron (I assume), so the odds of testing positive with no symptoms is extremely high right now. When I saw my doctor last week, he told me to not even bother getting tested if I become symptomatic, and just assume that I have it and isolate, because there is really nothing he could do for me, treatment-wise.

If you normally fly coach and are a slave to upgrades, then you'll miss 1K a lot more than you would if you just paid for first. FT has lots of HVFs whose trajectories mirror halls120 above (and me): former long time 1K, drawing down to *G for life...and don't miss playing the MP game one bit. Besides, the US "big 3" airline cabal has done a good job of making air travel something to endure, so why bother with "status?"

I think that is part of my point - but it was some of the 1k perks which I am not sure are the same as flying F...
but also, it is 'worth' paying for F... sure if you want it and Polaris is always better than Econ on a long flight..... but is there really a difference between 1A and 11A on a 2 hour ORD-DEN flight....sure the upgrades are nice, but maybe my point is that all of this has taken the fun out of flying, getting away, and playing 'the game'

-m

I'll take 7A over 1A on a ORD-DEN flight any day :) ** .

** Assuming it's on a narrow body aircraft

maybe I am just getting tired of the snack boxes......

I am tired of the little plastic bag of water, pretzel and stroopwaffle. A bag of mixed nuts and dried fruit would be a very welcome substitute, and healthier.

One of the lessons the pandemic taught me is there are more important things in life..

maybe, but being Premier 1K is an incredible self-confidence boost and comes with a suite of great perks you never realize you adore, until they are gone !

"suite of great perks" - I wouldn't miss any of them.

1) extra RDM - incremental miles < dynamic award flight requirements
2) special support phone line and email - have never used
3) pre-board - usually board last due to personal preferences; it's been fun watching the chaotic boarding process, especially the DYKWIA crowd, GS, 1K or otherwise.
4) upgrade - hit and miss, but mostly a miss for me, as I usually fly between NYC and LA/SF. I have to buy the lowest available fare bucket (G or K), and always find myself at the bottom of the UG list with people at the same level as me.
5) meals prioritization - mostly miss as well.
6) IRROPS protection - I took 122 flights in 2021 across multiple airlines, and never had IRROPS. - this a credit to United and airlines in general.
7) Agent check-in at airport - have never used

What other "suite of great perks" am I missing? As a free agent heavy traveler, I would imagine I am less attached to United (or any other airlines for that matter) than most here. As presented above, I don't even use most of the published benefits anyway, so losing them would not have an effect on me.

I was doing about 300k/yr for 5 yrs, then COVID hit. I love travel and had a travel itch for a few weeks, then suddenly it was like wow, i have all this extra time to do whatever i want. i've flown close to 0 the last 2 years and love it. i'm at 2.5m and thought i'd get to 4 before retirment, but now i'm not even sure i'll make 3...but life is so much better. you'll be fine with less travel.

maybe, but being a freelance traveler is an incredible self-confidence boost and comes with a suite of great perks you never realize you adore, until they are gone !

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.

i think whats most important is your safety; your health. this game will be around and you can always return to it when you're ready. don't stress out about it.

Not just safety or health but sanity. Don’t want to get political but many of my reasons for traveling in the past don’t exist anymore as everything is going virtual

I’ve been using miles to upgrade into business for over a decade. The last time I did it (August 2021) was 20000 miles and $350, and it was well worth it to have a comfortable seat for 9 hours.

My wife and I have not been travelling since March 2020. We are safe and healthy. However, I have to say that to regain our sanity we need to go back to our five international trips per year. I promise that, if we manage to go back to our normal schedule, I will never again complain that United switched us out of our preferred seats. I will not complain about the food, the Champagne, the boarding process and all the other things I used to complain about. Let's hope that 2022 will be the year that we will travel again.

I am based in Ohio as well. In 2019, I spent about 1 week per month abroad, on average. All over Europe, Africa, and Asia. It was the first year I qualified for 1K (I had only reached gold before that). Even with domestic trave, I hit nowhere near as many miles. In fact, most of my "long" flights for the year are seeing my sister and nephew in Seattle. I don't stress over status anymore. Whatever I get, I get. Yes it is nice to have but some extra legroom and some upgrades sometimes are not worth the stress. I just travel for work now when a customer needs me on-site and if nobody needs me (or I can do the work remotely), then I enjoy working from home (which my cat enjoys).

trmbn65,
yes, my feelings exactly - having had my share of window (and sometimes middle) seats on longer flights or cramped into smaller planes, the "thrill" of the upgrade is diminished..... dont get me wrong, wouldnt turn it down and prefer up front vs in the back...... but just not worth the stress anymore.... might be a long time before I struggle with FRA silliness again

-m