Just my two cents but if I understand what happened, asking AA for the 2 stickers back could be described as .... ludicrous?

You asked to be upgraded along with your companion. They put you both on the list. He apparently 'shared' your status (you asked for the upgrade for him). The names have to go on the list in some order ... and his name is nearer the beginning of the alphabet. He got upgraded, you did not. If there's a problem here, it's with your companion - he should have given you the seat. If you weren't prepared to point that out to him, that's your loss. You asked AA for two upgrades, you got one and paid for one. Why on earth should AA give you the stickers back?

If he didn't 'share' your status on the list, he would no doubt have been bottom of the list ... if you had then been upgraded and he wasn't (because someone else was ahead of him on the list) would you then complain that your companion wasn't upgraded? AA did you (and him) a favor by putting him higher up the list than his (non-status) allowed - don't then blame AA because he got it and you didn't.