I think the core issue that is irking folks here about this new fare is how UA is taking something that has been seen as entitlement (if you have Premier status) or a small fare add-on and potentially making it it's own separate fare and cabin class. If I'm not mistaken this is the way it has been at CoUniHound since the very beginning which goes back many years (perhaps decades?). Contrast this with PP where few(er) people were up in arms (aside from those being booted out of E+ seats on DOM routes) since it was a brand new cabin and service offering.
UA can rewrite the rules whenever they want but this lack of predictability and stability in their elite program and product offering calls into question why we should bother remaining loyal. Why not just sit back and wait for all this cabin/elite change nonsense to work itself out and fly OAL in the meantime? Once UA stabilities everything (or realizes the drop off in elite passengers is harming their bottom line) then maybe we'll come back and re-evaluate their product and elite program.