Only 13% of AA passengers fly more than once per year. My guess is that the 87% percent of passengers are deciding if they want to cross the hurdle between Basic Economy which is anywhere from $10-$300, will not be down for another $10-$40 at that point. It seems like a move to scrape a few extra bucks from business passengers that are not yet elite; however, every job that I've had wont even let me expense extra leg room seats, so in the end, it should be ok for Gold folks.