As someone aptly put it; it is the race to the bottom. I've flown 2 million miles with UA but could not stand how poor their hard product was. Eight across on a 777 in business class and NO F seating? If I were single and looking to meet people, then that's a great configuration. Came over to AA, have 688,000 BIS miles and was hoping to make it to lifetime gold. Yet I'm the dope that keeps thinking that has value???? I flew 135K this year and spent 18K, some of that was thru the great Barclay card bonuses, but that's going to be harder to make. In sum, there is NO more low hanging fruit with any airline. I believe it's going to be in my best interests to just pony up for F or B whenever I fly and if that's not possible fly UA because I'll be guaranteed a bulkhead or exit row seat in crunch class. OR I could lose 50 pounds and shrink 8 inches so I can fit in any piece of s__t seat the airlines graciously offer to ferry me to my destinations.