On my LAS-LAX flight last night the GA called 1Ks for pre-boarding stating and for our 100,000 miles a year flyers you are welcome to pre-board. As i approached the GA i said, "or spend $24,000 a year". The GA looked a little stunned at my comment....i used to earn 1K flying 100,000 miles a year, now I earn 1K with PQFs, dollars and a United branded credit card....

It wasn't easier in the "good old days", just cheaper.

There are countless transcon round-trips available for $250 in 1995 dollars, and you can still upgrade for about $25 (1995) per 500 miles - you don't even need status!

Like most who lament changes in airfare, you are neglecting the effect of inflation since airfare has remained roughly constant in nominal dollars since 1930.

I distinctly remember discussions about mileage runs to earn 1K in January back in the day. Things like 4 RT to Asia on the weekends in January in Y were suggested. Definitely harder than 2 C class round trips, but way cheaper.

my point exactly. You have to earn status one way or the other.

It’s people like us who benefited from the rules which probably caused the minimum spend. Fair enough - it let us know the new rules and whether or not we wanted to play. It’s still cheaper to pay F than to spend days earning miles with the hope of an upgrade. There’s a reason why 1k preboard before lower-status pax in F - they’re not getting upgraded on an adequate basis.

Yes, totally agree.
Unless one really enjoys flying and/or for needing achieving lifetime status, paying for F or more expensive Y fares may be a better way to go than the old model.
With 1K's 11 multiplier on PQD for redeemable miles vs 2X distance (plus premium cabin fare bonus) based redeemable miles (old system), I would say higher fares (under the current model) may earn more redeemable miles.

For achieving 1K, the consideration will be (without factoring early start bonus and credit card spend)::

fly 50 additional flights (4 flight minimum) vs paying additional $6K ($24 - $18K)

It was definitely cheaper for leisure travelers, like myself, to get 1K, if you had the time to do status mileage runs on cheap fares like $200 or less all-in transcons. I remember when all the FT veterans were taking US Airways transcon to earn status miles when they had some huge cheap mistake fares situation that they honored. I missed out on that one. At the time (if memory serves), US and UA had their partnership where US miles counted 1:1 for UA status.

Le sigh. The Good Old Days. I remember the $99 fares to pretty much anywhere, domestically on Northwest that my mom got for opening CDs and passed along to me. Or only needing 25 nights to qualify to Platinum (or whatever top tier was) at SPG, then booking a room for $109 and getting put in a suite.

The new models obv make sense for the airlines, though.

O/H

$99 1995 is $200 2023,
$99 1985 is $280 dollars in 2023.

im sure there’s examples but you’re getting a deal if you find a $200 ticket these days…

United happens to be a US centric airline

One way even same day under $200 not too difficult, especially off season (now). For example, I just pulled up Google Flights, standard economy (not basic economy), from EWR, where I am now, I can purchase a ticket for a flight to MIA leaving around an hour from now for $189.

Roundtrip is a bit more difficult but still doable with some advance purchase timing.

As others have written, it depends on your flying pattern. When I was traveling on OPM, I made 1K for 15 years on segments as my travel was mostly from O'Hare to cities in the northeast, mostly < 700 miles per segment. Under today's rules, it would have been much, much easier. But that was my flying pattern - relatively short non-stop domestic trips.