Originally Posted by ILUVCITIBANK

aviators, mid-tier with "four major US" chain hotels or with domestic US airlines are available with minimal effort in a given year's span.

A) HHONORS GOLD obtainable w/ $20K spend w/ their HHONORS AMEX
B) starwood GOLD obtainable w/ even less spend w/ their AMEX/SPG card (I don't have the time to check but $10K comes to mind)
C) My spouse received an unsolicited offer for AA/GOLD last year, via starwood (I think was the co-sponsor of the promo), having not paid for an AA tix in years nor spent 2 paid nights w/ starwood last year in her name

THree quick off the top of my head examples.

In any given year, there are numerous ways to get mid-tier elite levels with almost any given airline or hotel, and not through massive effort...usually if not often just by watching flyertalk threads and calling in or doing some mundane task or registering for some obscure promo.

In short, mid-tiers are of little value w/ many if not the majority of hotel and airlines...and mid-tier TANGIBLE benefits (not paper tiger benefits, or benefits "subject to some cap control) are degrading more and more each year. If mid-tier is the best AMEX CENT can come up with, then they will continue to bleed off subscribers.