Originally Posted by
BigFlyer
Whether it's punishment or not, it's rotten.
Long-time Medallion benefits include the ability to choose preferred seats on any fare for free, to upgrade on any any domestic fares, and for same day changes on any fare. Now, you have to pay a premium over the cheapest fare to get these benefits.
You still have all those benefits, BUT now you have an additional option to skip those benefits in exchange for a cheaper ticket (or you can continue to buy the same fare class you bought before and nothing changes).