Thanks so much for the replies guys!

So my eUpgrades are useless? Isn't it still worth it to pay maybe 300 or 400 more to get the class M Tango Plus and then use my eUpgrade credits (albeit only for one-way, which is still a long time considering my destination)?

I have never been a fan of lounge access though, since I never have very lengthy layovers (and if I do, I do fine just by reading through it). I suppose I just wanted good flight experiences and the opportunity to upgrade easily. This will be hard without at least a Prestige status right?

This seems like the end of my frequent flyer career even before it began.