I don't understand all the angst about the loss of the 75K tier. As I understand it, here's what US Platinum fliers got before:
- Free upgrades at 96 hours out
- 75% mileage bonus
- 2 free bags and priority baggage handling
- Reserve preferred seats
- Some sort of priority reservations line
- Guaranteed full-fare availability if booked 24 hours in advance
- Priority check-in, boarding, etc.
- No award processing or close-in fees
- Priority standby
- Confirmed move to an earlier flight (within 6 hours) for free
- $400 club membership
Whereas, here's what AAdvantage Platinum gets (differences in bold/strike-through):
- Sticker upgrades at 72 hours out
- 100% mileage bonus
- 2 free bags and priority baggage handling
- Reserve preferred seats
- Some sort of priority reservations line
Guaranteed full-fare availability if booked 24 hours in advance- Priority check-in, boarding, etc.
- No award processing or close-in fees
- Priority standby
Confirmed move to an earlier flight (within 6 hours) for free- $400 club membership
So it seems like you're complimentary upgrades for sticker upgrades, losing 24 hours in terms of the upgrade window, and losing the confirmed move to an earlier flight for free or to buy a full Y ticket on 24 hours notice. On the other hand, you get 25% more RDMs.
The swap from complimentary to sticker is a philosophical change more than an upgrade or a downgrade. You'll note that a lot of people on the AAdvantage side prefer it. I certainly liked being able to pick my spots when I was Platinum, knowing that I'd have a greater probability of upgrading on the flights that I really cared about. In any case, even if there was a 75K tier, this change would likely have applied so it's unrelated to the loss of the 75K level.
The other three changes (72 vs 96 hour upgrade window and loss of Move Up and buying a full Y ticket on a full flight) seem really minor to me, and probably more than offset by the bigger RDM bonus. To me all the grousing about the lack of a Platinum level seems really petty in the face of a program that appears much, much better than any other domestic option in the US for next year.