Originally Posted by Biggie Fries

Just made Exec Plat for the 5th year running (including US CP). Or maybe it's the 4th. One thing I am sure of: It will be the last.

It's not the little things, like one month less guaranteed (expires 31 Jan instead of 28 Feb).

It's not the decline from 8 SWUs to 4SWUs; heck, as a US CP, at best I was getting 4 SWUs. Anyhow, 4 or 8, it doesn't matter a heck of a lot if -- as seems to be the case nowadays -- there is no way to lock in any SWU use in advance. Does this matter to anyone else? I have mostly used SWUs to do fun trips with spouse. In these situations, a lot of the fun is knowing in advance that we'll be jetting off to Europe in a lie-flat sear. Heck, the longer we know in advance, the more it is worth to us! Or to put it differently, it's rare that I would want to upgrade last minute, on my dime (including SWU use). I just flew TATL in coach after doing half-a-dozen or so RTs in J, and it just wasn't that bad. (I mean, it was not great, but it's like the dentist -- you do it and at some point you forget about it.) Like I say, a lot of the value in these SWUs is the prospect, and that seems to be gone. To the point where, even though my wife is only about 10K miles short of hitting Exec Plat herself, we figure the primary benefit -- the 4 addition SWUs -- is unlikely to be worth it. I'm not all in a huff here -- maybe some plan-ahead SWUs will emerge and we'll re-think qualifying her. But until then ....

No, all that is not the big stuff. The big stuff is the 1-2 punch:

• The EQD requirement. Try keeping a plan-ahead spreadsheet on that! It's also a serious disincentive to modest price "getaway" trips. They will be empty EQMs, like empty calories.
• The coming of discount economy. Even if I were to feel shame (and I do!) from those posters here who tell me that if I want to be treated like an elite, I need to pay high prices, I will soon be in the position of having to pay high prices to stick around as an Exec Plat and then, having shown my mettle on the financial front, I won't even be able to use this status for weekend trips to FL or the like. Unless I want to pay more! (See point 1, above.)

So the business model for AA seems to be: You want to be an elite? Plan your flying to pay higher places. You want to use your elite status? Pay more higher prices.

This seems also to be a good model for Amtrak, DL F fares, and AARP J discounts to Europe ... which I think is where I will be as my Exec Plat status wears off in the 15 months ahead.

My wind-down plan includes:

• Deep-sixing my Silver Aviator card, since what good are the 10K EQMs in an EQD environment? (Done)
• Letting go of our Citi Prestige cards when they come up for renewal end of summer 2017. Using the TYPs at 1.6 cents per point for EQM-yielding tickets is no longer possible after late July 2017 (thanks Citi!); nor that important a strategy if I'm not all in with AA (thanks AA!) Also, without the EQM incentive on cheap domestic fares, we'll be waiting to board AA less often, so no real need to stay with Admirals Club. Already have Amex Plat for DL clubs.
• Booking Award tickets like a mad man, since this (no-cost cancellation) is one of the few remaining benefits of Exec Plat that has not (yet) been altered. Also, if this year I won't be maximizing paid trips for EQMs, I can finally "afford" to fly myself on Award tickets. With my wife well north of 400,000 EQMs, it is a bit tempting to see if we can get her to Exec Plat for this "burn off" year, but not enough of an incentive to push it.

As ever, I write all of this not to complain that life is unfair, or that AA owes me something... rather, to get some feedback from others of you in similar positions whether I am thinking about this the right way. Don't want to cut off my nose to spite my face!