Having reached 1K status with United this year (many trips from SFO to IAD, LAX, EWR, ATL, and now HND at the end of the year), I do question if the status is even worth it. I feel like United (and other airline carriers) already have way more data and know how to optimize the seats so that these extra flights these passengers take gives them a bigger profit at the end. 1K status gets you early boarding and extra free checked luggage for sure but the free upgrades rarely happen, especially for popular lines like SFO to EWR.
With Delta, I actually love boarding a "full flight" where they start calling for gate-checked baggage. I will often ask the desk agent if I can gate check even if they aren't calling for it yet, sometimes they'll do it.
Once you hit Delta status tiers you end up with enough free bags that you can skip asking there and just set it up before you go.
If you don’t have status, your strategy is a great one. Delta is pretty good at not trying to charge you in that circumstance. It also helps the flyer’s case that their A321 mainstay was configured with a cabin that provides insufficient overhead bins.
Funny. I know my suitcase will always fit the right way in a 737 bin (front upwards, top handle facing the aisle) ... but on an A321 I almost always have to lay the handle to the right, wheels left, taking up unnecessary horizontal space, because the upper part of the bin isn't deep enough to close given top thickness of the suitcase - even though it looks like it fits in the lower lip before you try to close it. So these days if I see I'm getting on an Airbus, I have to try to get in early and grab the extra bin space. Whereas if it's a Boeing I'll usually be at the bar until 2 minutes before they close the gate..
I definitely do this if I have a layover with a long wait or have checked luggage anyways. Why would you add 10-20 min extra wait after landing to not pull a stroller for a few Min?
The feedback I regularly give United is that a far more valuable perk would be to make groups 4 and 5 board first but not allow them to use overhead space (gate checking).
I have gold on United and get CPUs more often than not but these are often short flights, or even regional routes on Skywest, so that's really a crapshoot depending on the route, I think.
I'll take the other benefits, too, and they're "worth it" as long as you don't spend a bunch of money to get them. There's a real dollar benefit to free Economy Plus, checked bags and the mileage multiple; but of course how much that's worth to you depends on what's important to you, let alone the intangibles like pre-boarding or better customer service.
So far, the status and miles I've earned haven't involved spending any money I wouldn't have otherwise. With the sometimes exception of spending a little more to stick with United. Which is of course the point of a loyalty program. But I've never spent more on that increment than I've recovered in benefit on that flight (like from free Economy Plus). But who knows? Maybe I'll get so addicted I'll be tempted to make a "mileage run".
I've got platinum on united, and companion pass on SWA. I can tell you YES status is worth it. it's not really about the early boarding, or free bagage, or that BS. It's about being able to call up the airline, outside of my company's travel service, and just tell them what I want and they do it.
Also, all those doubling of miles and other perks allow me to get upgrades for free so when I do have flights I really need to sleep on I can take first class.
it depends. I don't fly enough to look into the details, but a few years ago I ended up reaching the second lowest tier on Delta (gold iirc), and I would get free upgrades about half the time for my flights that year. Routes were from seattle to all over the place (NYC, SF, LA, ATL, etc) and back.
2nd lowest is gold; 2nd highest is platinum (behind diamond). I usually get to platinum and, except for the bus routes (to/from ATL), I get first class upgrades on almost 75% of my domestic segments. Add in ATL segments (full of diamond flyers) and it’s probably down to the 50% you mention for gold. It’s very route specific.
I have noticed a lot of domestic first-class seats or post-purchase upgrades have become cheaper during COVID to get the airline some revenue from that seat rather than upgrading you or I.
