porciuscato

Asia travel was nearly non-existent for the first half of this year and has barely recovered. I'd guess that any cut-off above $40K would significantly reduce the number of GS.

For my part, I will probably just make 40K this year.

PBIFLL

After a good 7 year run I am definitely losing GS after this year. Still no international travel at work thus my spend is virtually nothing. Will be interesting to see if I get a soft landing. Once they changed premium cabin match to just one segment the program lost much of its value to me. I will likely fly other airlines when work starts flying again.

st530

60K already with probably 30K or more still to go in 2022 with airlines TBD. Assuming the 60K will already be enough for GS, I might spend the remaining 30K on AA (already have about 10K on AA) to see if maybe I can get a 1Q 2023 status match offer for CK as I'm 50% Miami-based these days.

drewguy

Why glut until 2024? Absent extensions, 1Ks expiring 1/24 will all be "earned", though at reduced spend levels from what was initially rolled out for 2020 (though unclear what effect that would have had on numbers absent Covid)

kirkwoodj

Everyone "earning" 1K right now will have it thru end of January 2024. Considering the kickstart bonuses and other bonuses (credit card spend etc), very little effort/spend required to "qualify".

ani90

That though is assuming that1) UA wants to trim the volume of 1Ks (and GS).
and2) There will be no bonuses or promotions next year.

It is probably in UA's interest to maintain a certain critical volume of 1K (and GS) which probably reflects why they have run the promotions and extensions over last two MP years. If they wanted to thin the ranks they could, and would, have done so, I suspect. In contrast they seem over the years to be modifying requirements in response to how people are traveling and spending as if to deliberately maintain a healthy 1K volume. I may be mixed but I seem to think there were quite a few promotions to enhance possibility of qualifying for elite status prior to COVID-19. Let's not think for one second that UA offering GS, 1K, Platinum etc is being done for our benefit. United likely benefits much more from the loyalty program than we do and it won't be in their interest to have very few 1Ks wtc. They need as many as they can, but not too much that the passengers won't sense a 'benefit'.

kirkwoodj

If everyone is elite, then no-one is elite.

bmwe92fan

So true -- but that isn't the game that Kirby plays -- the game is to make you THINK you are elite -- without you actually being it -- and he has proven that he can do that well.... FT represents probably the 1% of knowledgeable flyers -- most of the rest of travelers don't have a clue -- thus the grand pronouncements at the gate of "I am GOLD" or "I fly more than you I am Platinum" -- it's so easy to accomplish....

Even I fell prey to this on a recent thread -- I assumed that AA granted lifetime status similar to UA -- two of my team have 5MM plus miles with AA and ALWAYS get upgraded -- I just assumed it was grandfathered -- I was wrong -- Imagine the normal people out there when they get a promotion and the promise of multiple free upgrades -- or free E+ seating -- or free upgrades on award reservations....

Kirby promises you the elevator -- and you get the shaft -- and it's not just UA clearly....

limey1K

Bingo. I was in the process of pre-boarding at the GS shout out this week and a woman pushed in front of me and scanned her phone. GA said "Ma'am are you Global Services?" She said I'm 1K that's the same thing, right?. GA grinned and said " I assure you ma'am, they are two very different things". He asked her to step aside, I scanned my BP and headed on down the jet bridge.

bmwe92fan

Welcome to Kirby World -- not unlike the Wizard of Oz -- where status exists in your mind -- but not in the real world -- the very existence of these people help to prove to UA that the marketing works lol... To be clear -- I don't blame UA -- their marketing efforts are so far superior to the product delivered -- I just wonder how long it can last -- IME most leaders like Kirby have a short shelf life -- and I believe that will be true once again here with UA.... The airline industry is one of the toughest in the world -- but deceiving customers only goes so far -- and hard product "advantage" is so easily lost (and UA is losing that fast) -- and then what does UA have?

My wife and I have already shifted $20k per year to NH from NY to TYO -- NH soft product is so superior and always has been -- but now that NH hard product is a generation ahead of UA on this route -- we'd just be stupid to stick with UA -- and that's my concern -- with people that have a choice UA will lose -- and with seasoned travelers -- they will lose -- so how much longer can UA live on the uniformed?

drewguy

I guess it depends on what you consider "effort." But with kickstart, you still need 10.5K+36 segments or 12K, which is above the Plat thresholds. And CC bonuses were certain cards only. So, yeah, less "effort" (i.e. spend) than usual, but still not chump change for anyone who's not flying OPM regularly. At most the "glut" is reducing 1K to Plat level qualification, but neither of us have an idea whether that's up or down from "normal" given we haven't had normal since 2019.

SPN Lifer

UA can live for a long time on those pursuing lifetime status.

Solyesh

I’m at $53K YTD, all UA$, with another $20K booked. Last year was at $46K and pre-COVID probably averaged about $55K/year…
On the routes I frequent, it seems like fewer GS than in years past and the FAs have also commented on that fact. I do hope they think about re-tooling the benefits..from what my friends who are AA CK describe it seems their benefits, especially as OneWorld Emerald vs StarAlliance Gold, are consistent and at as high if not higher level vs UA GS. I was Exec Plat forever at AA before making switch to Continental and eventually UA…if I got a status match might be tempted to try AA again…(don’t live in either an AA or UA hub..)
The one-way companion upgrade def needs to be changed to be R/T and a more consistent customer service experience would be nice (UA GS tries hard but it has taught me the value in HUCA as the answer you receive really tends to depend upon the rep who answers)…
I have noticed an uptick in on-board recognition(FAs and sometimes Pilots) - which is nice but not necessary (I am always more focused on safely and comfortably getting to the destination)..but the GA experience is still spotty (sometimes they get pre-boarding right and sometimes it’s a crap shoot)…
I’d personally like them
to beef up the program - especially around IRROPS (never been offered the transfers for tight connections but would rather know I’m protected automatically on next flight when something goes wrong)…

CMHBIZTraveler

I am currently at around 37k with another 12k already booked, and then likely about 10k more to be booked. Will be interesting. I did about 8k in 2021, so will be interesting to see what happens. I will say that being GS this year has been almost pointless. I mainly book First or Biz class. The 3 times I tried to use PP for myself, I never cleared. I used them for some of my team and they never cleared. I tried to use the Award benefit to book my wife with me on a trip and they would only auto upgrade her on one leg of the journey, so I ended up just paying for her seat to avoid all the irropps issues of late.

HNLbasedFlyer

UA didn't lose you - they have a joint venture with NH.