I'm usually gold but went gold - > plat and then plat - > 1k this year thanks to promos and more flying than usual. My experience as a platinum vs gold felt pretty much the same. Other than a few plus points and a slight boost to earning miles, there's no real benefit to speak of unless you often travel with more than one companion. If I were you I'd probably save that money for flat out buying business/first class on flights where you want it because it's not like your CPU chances are going to materially improve as a plat.