I received this notice from United Airlines via email a couple of day ago:
Happy Anniversary!
We’d like to congratulate you on your 42 years anniversary of being a United MileagePlus member.
So I’ve been a member since 1981. That was the very beginning of the Mileage Plus program, which rolled out in 1981. I was flying quite a bit at that point, and did for much of the next decade.
Along the way, both Meda and I racked up more than a million miles on United. I doubt we have enough years left on us to reach two million, though.
But at a million, we both received lifetime Gold status.
Tangible benefits? There are a few.
We used to often get complimentary upgrades. Not so much any more. That system stopped working in our favor.
We do get “upgraded” to United’s “Economy Plus” seating at no charge. It offers added leg room, and seating in front of the economy cabin, both of which I appreciate, but nothing more in the way of service.
Bag fees are waived, and we could bring additional bags if we wanted to. We never have, likely never well.
So, I suppose I should thank United for the thought.
I wish there were other perks to go with the thoughts, though.
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Lots of controversy these days about airline “loyalty” programs and how some airlines are revamping recently (to LESS bennies) with the inevitable customer outrage. I’m a longtime Delta member and they really must have pissed off a significant number of people because I received an email explaining how they were “readjusting” their so called revamp.
We shall see.
Many of the benefits that you get at certain levels have been both discounted and then usurped by other ways of getting benefits, like using airline-branded credit cards. I have found that even if you do reach status, the only way that you really get that “OG respect” that used to be the case no matter what metal-level you were at is you have to fly way more now than in the past. Now the deal is not how many miles you have flown, but how much you spend, keeping in mind that if you go for the lowest fare on some airlines, they give you zero miles and zero benefits even if you are of status.
The game is really forcing either a higher spend for the same thing or praying that your work gives you enough miles to get status that way.
Or just go to Southwest and be done with the mile-chasing.
I’ve heard good things about Alaska Airlines.