Originally Posted by
Middle_Seat
My lifetime Platinum card came in the mail today, as it has for the last several years. The accompanying card contains this wording:
"Since your AADvantage Platinum status is valid for the lifetime of the Platinum program, you'll notice this new card does not have an expiration date."
Didn't the wording in previous years indicate that status would be valid for the life of the AAdvantage program, rather than the life of the Platinum program? Or, am I mis-remembering it?
Keep in mind that
there is no such thing as a Platinum program. There's only a Platinum
status level in the
AAdvantage program. So it's nonsensical (shorhand?) wording on their part, and as such, I don't believe it bears too much heavy analysis.
Basically, your AAdvantage Platinum status was always only valid as long as there was an AAdvantage program with a Platinum status. I don't see how anything about that has changed.
Meanwhile, as to actual benefits: It's AAdvantage Gold's, IMHO, that have had their value diminished, due to the IT issue of AA not allowing AA Golds (lifetime or other) to buy MCE at half price in advance on saver awards, because AA IT can't process taxes and such on awards :eek;. Prior to MCE, AA Golds (lifetime or other) were able to reserve exit row seats free in advance (on both paid flights and awards).
As to upgrades: I would think that the drastic shrinkage of F, such as only 8 on the A319 (which replaced the M80 which had way more F proportional to Y), as well as AA's more aggressive selling of paid F as of late, are more responsible for disappearing upgrades than any changes to status benefits or changes to status levels. Most A319 flights I'm on get to F0 or at most F1 by week out; how can there be that many upgrades in that kind of situation?
