see above in that case. 60k, 100k, or 150k it seems the answer is that all corporate GS were dropped.

if I were in your shoes I’d be going to the appropriate level of management cc: the travel dept letting them know that in no uncertain terms since you live on a UA widebody for them you expect GS.

if Mary or George taking their family to Disney once a year on GS benefits trumps that, you might reconsider your employer’s perception of your value…

Do you have a choice of airline -- or do you have to fly UA?

At least in my case, my employer has zero to do with designating GS benefits. It doesn’t have an exclusive contract with United or any other airline. This decision was strictly United’s.

Does your employer have access to (significant) UA discounts and received GS nominations? That seems to be the target audience, there is the suggestion that UA is providing more nominations and leaving the decision to the employer going forward/ Have you had a decision with the travel department?

contracts are generally not exclusive; they depend on “deliver this level of corporate spend and receive these benefits.” One of those benefits is X number of GS/1K etc to pass around.

are you saying you have a corporate contract, know its terms, and it doesn’t include any status? Given PassPlus GS goes for 75k now I find it hard to believe any corporate contract that includes GS spend level travelers (pre-2023) wouldn’t include GS now?

(All speculation, just trying to reason through the new reality)

No. My company does not receive GS nominations. It does get discounts but that’s because it provides reciprocal discounts to all United employees. The travel department doesn’t control my travel at all. I book most of my travel online. And as a result of United’s policy change, I’ve already switched all of my future travel to other airlines and have moved all my spending off my United CC to another airlines. None of that has anything to do with my employer. They have no idea what my frequent flyer status is on any airline. Nor do they care.

my guess in your case is: United reasons the discount they give you for working at they company is offset by the discount your company gives their employees - and GS would be “giving” too much in the relationship.

I hope moving your travel doesn’t cost you significant time, otherwise you’re just “getting even” with a corporation who isn’t giving you a second thought.

I’ve been a business traveler with my company for over 20 years. I am an expert at optimizing my travel to minimize my personal pain and maximize my personal gain. That was a main reason I focused so much travel on United. It provided the best bang for my buck with the GS policies it’s had in place for a very long time. But with the changes they’ve made, that is no longer the case. So as I have done in the past, I have shifted my travel appropriately. I flew 182,000 miles on United in 2023. But most of that was on long haul routes that all major US domestic airlines fly, and even more foreign carriers. Switching from United to another carrier is like switching from Ford to Chevy, or Nissan to Toyota. If “getting even” was my primary motivator, I’d retire and quit flying altogether. But since I have to do the traveling anyway, I do it on the carrier that provides the best service and best benefits. That is no longer United. It’s strictly business. And not the first time I’ve had to make a switch.

A true corporate contract requires a minimum investment of $100,000 to receive one GS invite to assign. The (former) individual PassPlus program is the $50,000 (nown $75,000).

well I don’t get much of a discount and in fact look for more expensive refundable tickets on the UA app so that doesn’t make since either

so is that “other carrier” going to match the discount UA offers you on a corporate level and match your now 1K status? If not it’s hard to see it being equal. Plus, it’s not like all the majors and certainly not the foreign airlines have frequent service out of Idaho?

not saying it makes sense, just trying to guess what United’s logic may be. I’m pretty sure they’re NOT going to say “wow those folks on FT were right and we’re nuts. Let’s reverse this now!”

(edited to multi quote and save posts)

They already have. Within a couple hours of me asking. And the fares are almost identical. I don’t live in Idaho. But even if I did, most of my travel is international. So most of it requires two legs anyway. Switching from EWR or SFO to ATL or LAX really doesn’t matter to me.
I’m not sure most business travelers really understand how many options they have for traveling. The airlines take advantage of that ignorance. But ultimately, choosing an airline isn’t much different than choosing a local grocery store. Pick the one that benefits you the most. The product they sell is basically the same. And if the benefits they offer change, do a little research and move (if it makes sense) to the one that benefits you more. Guess what? You still end up with roughly the same product. You may just get a better discount on gas purchases or frozen pizzas.
I didn’t start my business travel focused on United. I actually used US Air for many years until they got bought out. Over the years I’ve had the highest levels of status on Cathay Pacific, Emirates and even Alaskan Airlines. Before Frontier became a bottom feeder, I focused my domestic travel on them. But like any business, airlines like to stir the pot every few years, and when they do, the only losers are customers who think they have no other option but to stick with what they know. Bad move. And for now, me staying with United as my primary airline would be a bad move. So off I go. For the first time in years, the only flights scheduled on my United app are award tickets. It will probably take me all year to burn through my accumulated frequent flyer miles.

The fact that you were also denied the challenge is extra bizarre. I’m also a 7 year GS on a corporate contract and received the challenge without asking and I only had about $30k on united metal last year.

If I were you I’d reach out directly to the head of Mileage plus for answers and to provide your feedback.

Once again -- such a fascinating thread! I can only wonder what the marketing wizards at UA are thinking -- but alienating people that spend $100k plus per year -- and have the ability to direct that spend to other airlines -- seems insanely short sighted. Then again -- perhaps someone has done the math and figured out that 90+ percent of these people will continue flying with UA anyways -- which TBH is probably true.

The number of GS I meet that don't even know what their status means is very high -- they don't know most of the (unpublished) benefits -- and some don't even know what pluspoints are! My fomer CMO was a 1k with UA for years before he even knew he had GPU's -- and then PP! The reality is that the people here on FT are likely the top 1% of the top 1% of all fliers (sorry for the Top Gun analogy -- as a former Naval wannabe aviator I couldn't resist). We look around and can't possibly understand why UA would do this -- but the truth is we are the tail -- and the dog is wagging us....

As a 12+ year GS (average spend $80k per year) I was offered GS for $18k spend after spending only $25k last year -- I will probably take it as a last hurrah since I will spend that much anyway -- see -- UA wins....

This entire episode is bewildering.

I too have seen many examples of people who simply aren’t aware of, what I’d call, basic details. I recall a discussion with a customer last summer where ai explained that all those flights on Turkish and Swiss don’t accrue lifetime miles. He was adamant that I was wrong.

It seems that there are travelers that will just take this change in their stride, as they’re more focused on getting from A to B than what happens at A or B.

The big issue for me, as others have said, is what this change augurs for the MP Program overall. The drive towards monetization is clear, but where else could this imperative go? I’m loathe to speculate out loud in the very slight off chance that I give people some ideas!

All I can say for those, like me, who leverage every benefit I can get: Winter is coming!