Contrary to most Biz class flyers out here, I have paid for every logged mile out of my own pocket and just completed my 2 millionth mile today (I had long suspected that the program would change for the worse very soon and wanted to get to my lifetime platinum status for whatever the "new value" maybe)....the sad part of the new deal is that SWU's are cut in half, not sure whether that is a REAL issue any more since most of the time with the long list of multimillion miler EXP's and their companies paying for biz class tickets, I rarely get my upgrades anyway...still, it is nice to know that I could have a bank of 8 each year to help me look for ways to fly longer and more expensive flights and enjoy the upgrades--AA execs surely must have considered that the lack of SWU's would decrease the desire and thus the demand from EXPs to fly routes where SWU may be used....but trying to understand the logic of those stupid bean counters gives my already jet-lagged brain a bigger headache!