Originally Posted by flyingeph12

Totally agreed. The first part of my response was really half joking / stated with wry amusement.

At some point, it is good to step back and acknowledge that 8 hours in economy won't kill anyone, especially if it means getting to one's destination on time and not wasting precious vacation time sitting on planes or trains. Unfortunately, AA (and other airlines too) know that—and know that under the rules compensation for a downgrade doesn't have to be very much. In theory, compensation for an IDB can be more, but at that point it's a decision of whether the money is worth the lost vacation time.