Well, this is supposed to be a Frequent Flyer program, and you shouldn't necessarily expect to reach Gold off the back of a return flight in Y - particularly with many fares only earning at 50%!

SAS from ORD is probably your best bet for 100% earning in Y at a reasonable price, but quite how long that will last is anyone's guess - certainly not one I'd be relying on.

M&B is, probably rightly, no longer a cheap qualification option. Status is supposed to bring a certain amount of ease in moving through airports and having space in a lounge when needed. If more people become eligible than the available facilities can cope with, then status no longer has worth, so it's not surprising qualification and re-qualification has become harder.

Bottom line is that many people need to fly a great deal more now, or spend a lot on a single flight, to maintain their benefits. Almost all FF programs are set up to ensure people who fly irregularly in discount Y don't qualify for anything other than the 'normal' airport experience - and it's difficult to argue that's anything other than fair to the people that have to fly week in, week out.