I literally felt a lurch in the pit of my stomach when I got the email. I can sit happily in coach for any US flight but on a 17 hour flight to Johannesburg things are different. By removing the systemwide upgrades for Platinums Delta pretty much told us what they think of us. Fly more; spend more; and we will throw you a few crumbs - systemwide (or Global) upgrades. I regularly buy an M or B for South Africa and use an upgrade certificate. That's why I fly Delta even when it is inconvenient. But obviously that's not enough now. I'll get my last ones bfore the end of February 2014 and then switch to Star Alliance or Oneworld.