I can't speak for Interested Observer, I can only speak for myself. Personally, I have never flown a 7-segment $200 transcom to get my elite status on CO. Even if I had, I would still be contributing to the bottom line by purchasing seats that would have gone empty anyway. In addition, if OP elites are upset because they do not receive upgrades on every segment, CO has no one to blame but itself. After all, it was CO who created the expectation among elites that they would be upgraded fairly consistently, and they still promise unlimited free upgrades.

CO changed the upgrade process without letting its customers know about it. As a result, the perception of service quality does not meet the customer's expectation, in many cases. That's a basic concept that companies have to understand if they want to create a core of loyal customers.

The upgrades aren't the only issue. The lack of award availability, the cramped economy section, the lack of a dedicated elite desk, the ridiculous international upgrade scheme, and enhancements that are really insults are driving many of us from CO.

A reason that CO is one of the "leaders in emerging the industry out of bankruptcy" is because CO treated its elites better than any other airline did for a number of years. In the past couple of years, these loyal elites have become aware of erosions in their benefits, with little or no communication of or explanation about these changes.

The impact on CO's bottom line might be negligible, or it could be substantial. Maybe CO will find a lot of people who are willing to pay a premium price for a non-premium service, but I'm not one of them.