I got hooked on Elite status when I hit Silver with CO in 1999- mostly for the shorter lines, the Upgrade Lottery and the possibility (maybe) of more access to Reward travel. I don't travel a lot on business so I've had to concentrate our personal travel on the airline where we want to keep Elite status. That's been 2 trips a year to Europe but it may come down to one next year- Europe is getting too darn expensive as the $$ weakens and the post-9/11 chickens return to the skies, driving prices up.

Switched to AA on a Platinum Challenge last year (trip to India on business, which I don't expect to recur frequently). I earned enough miles for Gold through 2/06 (and my understanding is that I would have gotten Gold anyway, since I started as Platinum).

But, as I said, my projected travel for 2005 does not look good. From MCI, most of the cheap alternatives for my business travel are on Southwest. I got the offer to keep Platinum for $750 but have decided it's not worth it. So, I may end up non-Elite in 2007. Here are my thoughts.

Elite doesn't mean a heck of a lot anymore unless you're "Road warrior" Elite and I'll never get there. I've just spent 20 minutes with the AA Platinum desk because they changed an itinerary on which my husband and I were traveling- or at least they changed MINE. I called because they sent a note that my itinerary was changed but he didn't get any notification. First they said his was changed, too. Well, no, it wasn't, but she'd re-issue it. Also, his seat assignments that I'd confirmed when I made the reservations had disappeared. (I'd actually made the prior reservations over the phone because it was a complicated trip- so got stuck with the fee for that.) So this is "Elite" service.

I'm ready to just travel on the cheapest carrier when we plan our high-mileage trips- period. No loyalty.

What's life like as a non-Elite these days? Any worse?

Edited to add: Husband is over 6' tall and is really uncomfortable in window or middle seats. Do non-Elites have a chance at an aisle seat?