I'll beat cigarman to the punch this time...

NJDavid, what promised benefit is gone?

Is it EUA? CO promised that at a certain time depending on your status you could get a space available domestic upgrade. There was never any promise that the system wouldn't be automated. There was never any promise that you would be able to get up at midnight and call in for an upgrade. The promise was merely that free upgrades would be available. They still are. Now EUA isn't working exactly right for everyone, but there's no reduction at all in "promised" (aka "published") benefits. The reduction (for some) is in effective benefits. Your "promised" benefits are the same.

Is it HoKeY fares? Again, not a promise. CO never promised that B fares or the occasional V fare or even the occasional Q fare would be upgradeable to Europe. We come to "expect" certain "benefits" based on past behavior of CO. Flyers expecting a benefit is not the equivalent of CO promising a benefit. There really is a huge difference.

I really do want to know what CO promised you and how this promise was communicated to you.

The bottom line is that airlines change policies all the time, usually for the worse. As a consumer, you are free to fly anyone you choose. I know it hurts to earn elite status on an airline only to decide the airline isn't for you anymore. Many DL flyers went through this very pain at the end of last year with the SWU fiasco. But by all means, get over it. Move on. Call it a "reduction in benefits" if you must, but don't claim that any of this is over "promised benefits".