Speaking here as an ex-Silver/2P, but striving for Gold/1P these days:

Is it really a factor that E+ is not available until check-in? Are E+ seats
that taken up prior to the flight? Or is it that many of you are flying the
same elite-heavy routes (EWR-SFO) where even Golds/Plats have to take
a non-reclining exit row a month out?

Just curious. I feel your pain with the luggage loss (we were saved), and you avoided the crushing loss of RDMs, but I just don't see (besides
anecdotally) how loss of E+ at booking really will matter**, especially when I see so many threads here about E+ poachers.

**Besides the obvious that UA/CO doesn't care about retaining 2Ps.