other than the loss of a couple special upgrade certs at the 45K, that is all we have lost. And the main benefits still exist. I really love having lounge access and priority checkin. Even if I am sitting in Y, these can still make a difference, also having Star Alliance Gold status is very useful as well, not every airport in the world allows you to use web checkin or kiosks. And you get access to lounges all over the world, very useful as well.