I normally don't reply to a thread started by someone with only 3 posts, but Gold status definitely has useful benefits.

• All coach seats including premium economy open for selection 24 hours before departure, and sometimes at reservation time.
• Fast Track boarding with Ruby status on BA at LHR
• Boarding after EXP/PLAT and often before Priority Access
• Free standby -- use this regularly on earlier flights to get layovers long enough to visit family
• No late redemption fees when using miles within 21 days. This has saved hundreds of dollars.

In short, OP's thread title is flammatory and ignorant.

I'll grant that it was a thread started in anger. And left to linger for a few weeks. However, 24hr mce means no mce for most business flights. Next time I hit aa gold I'm flying wn. The "value" items you iterate are available at mile 0 elsewhere and/or they aren't my concern as a corporate flyer. In the meantime I'll make a decent effort to maintain plat. AA gold is worthless to me.

Good luck with WN...

...you'll come back to AA

I'm just curious, what's the justification/reasoning behind this?

currently sitting on AA 108 (LAX-LHR) over the Hudson Bay. MCE has great service. FAs brought me the fruit and cheese platter from J, with "real" wine in a real glass. Gold does not suck.

Gold is NOT Worthless on US (for now)
 

I get all the benefits of flying AA metal plus
* ability to select exit row at booking (not T-24)
* sticker-less upgrades

And I've found the crew to be friendlier (in general).

Out of 9 flights in the last 12 weeks (5 AA, 4 US), I have been upgraded on all 4 US flights without fail (and without burning stickers). Until they are on Sabre, I will go out of my way to book US rather than AA.

I do as well - to milk the free companion upgrades

I'm EXP, on JFK-LHR (or JFK-ZRH), when I'm seated in MCE (= I haven't been upgraded:td::p), I've never gotten the perks you got.:confused:

Last Friday flying RDU-CLT-SDF on US as a Gold I went 2/2 on upgrades ^

Which planes have premium economy? MCE only offers more legroom in the same cabin as economy, right?

FAs brought you food from J cabin as GLD? Is this a new MCE perk for folks with status on flights with F/J/MCE/Y seats?

*****

As Lifetime Gold, and soon to hit the 2 Million make it has been a Life saver...

Thanks AA...

FAs brought fruit from J back to MCE on a recent HKG-DFW flight. They do this if they have extras, as they would otherwise have to throw out the fruit/cheese on arrival in the United States. Haven't seen wine served in a real glass to an MCE passenger before, though. Maybe you made a good impression on the FA and they wanted to do something nice - did you have your aaplause certs?

MCE seats free for GLD?
 

For which flights is choosing a MCE seat days in advance free for GLD? When I looked at flights between DFW-LAX, MCE seats have a fee. When I look at flights between DFW-GYE via MIA&GYE, none of the seats have a fee on the AA-operated segments. Both itineraries are on non-refundable economy fares.

MCE is only complimentary for GLD within 24 hours of departure.