AAdvantage Gold = worthless
 

Within the last few weeks it seems AA has stripped every bit of value from Gold status. All "preferred" (not MCE) seats are $$ and you aren't allowed to request upgrades (so why even earn them?)
I emailed to complain and got a call back. Retention rep acknowledged both of those changes. Put me on a free Plat challenge with Plat status during the challenge... happy to take them up on it, pretty sure I'll meet it, and I will probably keep using AA during my Plat status. If/when I fall back to Gold again, it's time to start flying WN.
Gold gets a free checked bag? woohoo - that's the one "extra" on AA my company will pay for. At least on WN they'll cover early bird.

A lot of Plat and EXP might put their nose in the air at this, but I really feel that there is zero value to Gold now and find it kind of an insult. "You get what you pay for" sure... but I get more if I pay another airline.

I have a domestic booking in May. I can reserve Preferred seats for $0 and request upgrades.
I am lifetime Gold.

Not sure what you're seeing, but I just did several dummy bookings of various dates and routes, and was able to request upgrades, and had all the Preferred seats available for no extra charge. Are you sure you're logged in when booking ?

plus MCE free at checkin
plus AA close-in award ticketing fee waiver

The fact that you feel there's no value in Gold to you has been duly noted by a bunch of random enthusiasts on the internet. Some may feel the same, some may not, but none are you.

Time for you to move on to greener pastures better airlines (for you).

Try Delta and their version of 25K miles (Silver) you will run back begging for AA. Or you could try United and really know what misery is.

We are not allowed to request upgrades? That would be a major program change. Although I wouldn't trust Dougie to necessarily give advance warning of this, I'd think we'd at least have gotten an e-mail by the day the benefit was removed. Also, they do actually clear sometimes, despite what some EXP's will tell you.

You can also get MCE for free starting at T-24. On this forum, they say that Golds no longer get free MCE. That isn't the case. At least on domestic flights, it's available on just about every flight - just not at booking.

Yes, EXPs and perhaps some Plats view Golds as "wannabes" or something and look down on us. Of course they don't care about Gold benefits, but that doesn't change the fact that the benefits do exist.

Sounds like OP is booking US Airways codeshares. In that case, indeed, preferred seats (which aren't any better than ordinary seats) cost money, and OP could not request an upgrade before the check-in window.

Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner. This is exactly what is going on. If it makes the OP feel any better, PLTs get shown the fees for those seats on US too. But, I don't know why anyone would want them anyhow, because they're usually just meaningless seats slightly more forward in the cabin. The actual good US Y seats, like 10A/F on the 319, are wide open to Golds.

Agree; most logical answer. As noted above, these benefits remain for AA flights.

Worse yet is EXP get charged for those seats as well... This isnt a big deal 2 weeks out typically, but book a flight for tomorrow and many times the only seats not middles available are choice seats. Its actually changed my buying habits and forced me to fly an inferior schedule as I cant charge clients for a premium seat and I'm not sitting in a middle on US for 4 hours.

Actually, it's the Choice seats that cost on US. Preferred and Exit seats are free and reserved for elites.

Even when I was gold a few years ago I had good luck with UPGs on the JFK-SFO/LAX transcons (granted it was the days of the 762's and 30J cabins). Even when I was in Y I would book those seats right near the J galley and had great service. The Y FA's would frequently hook me up with wine refills from the J galley :)

Gold status is better than no status.

BINGO.