I actually think it's a bit odd that they've now made 1MM = Gold, which potentially devalues Gold in terms of upgrades. However, since upgrades are so elusive anyway, maybe that doesn't matter much. Gold does get you into lounges internationally which is a pretty big win.

The lounge access changes are pretty good, though. I have an Amex Platinum AND a Reserve, and the Platinum more or less pays for itself. With these changes I get 25 lounge visits/year, which is enough to cover my typical flying patterns. And you can get a SkyClub membership now as a choice benefit, so that rewards the super frequent flyers.

I grudgingly admit these changes actually make Delta a viable choice for me again - except that it still is pretty awful for international redemptions. AA remains much more interesting for those sorts of points.