As an Elite over the past several years, the following has changed:

1. No more upgrades from any fare class.

2. Changes to the ability to convert revenue seats to reward seats were made gradually. First it was just business class that was taken away, then it was also economy unless we pay double points.

3. We no longer can take guests (other than immediate family) into the MLL on domestic flights for free.

4. Other much more minor changes such as no more instant Starwood Preferred Guest automatic gold level membership and likely other things that I can't recall right now.

The way I look at it, there is not much more they can do to the Elite benefits that will affect me greatly, other than a further erosion in the ability to use the MLL. I am never in the correct class to use an upgrade coupon. Sometimes I pay J fare, particularly on flights to Asia, but I never enter the upgrade lottery. I also have not paid double points for a reward seat. So, the only real benefit to me any longer is the MLL access. If they take that away (which I really don't believe that they will), then there would be virtually no incentive for me to strive to be Elite in the future.

Despite the fact that I buy either the cheapest fare available (other than Tango) or full fare J, I still give AC thousands of dollars a year in revenue.

[This message has been edited by ac/elite (edited Dec 10, 2003).]