At least you were given gold status AS people got jack. VX has been going down hill long before AS came along and no reason to fix a product that is headed for retirement.

AS top tier didn't get Elevate Gold?

Definitely agree here. The seats on my last two VX flights didn't work and the FA had to manually override it ever time I wanted to move it. And the footrest wouldn't extend at all. Very disappointing since this is the only thing I care about.
I don't use IFE but the guy across the aisle sure was steamed that it wasn't working properly.
Can't speak to the rest as I don't order food but I will say I noticed a vast difference in the service. On the flight in January, the FA provided the bare minimum and sat in the galley reading a magazine for most of the flight. Was very annoyed every time I needed my seat adjusted.

On my flight last week, the FA could not have been better. He was exemplary. I was one of the first to order breakfast and he came to me a bit later saying he had run out of my choice and wanted to see if I would mind option 2, which I didn't. I think he asked me as the other 4 pax in the F cabin seemed a bit, um.......less nice, I guess. He just couldn't have been nicer or more apologetic. The excellent service continued the entire flight. He will fit in well at AS.

One thing I thought was odd was they called AS elites, including basic MVPs to board with F.

No, status matches were only VX to AS.

Yesterday as I was checking in (Elevate Silver), when I asked where my priority tag for my bag was I was told "I wasn't Elevate Gold therefore I was ineligible". I pointed out that I was pretty sure it was a benefit, moreso because I'd had 4 years of priority bags, and the answer was "it was sometimes done as a courtesy". The staff member called over someone else who agreed with her. They eventually put a tag on and said they were doing it as a "one time courtesy". Baffling.

I guess you are being sarcastic. AS elites have been the "step children" in this new marriage.

Makes you want to print out the stated benefits when you check in. Although I'm sure if you do that you'll never get questioned again.

It isn't a marriage. The female black widow has mated, and will do what female black widows do afterward.

Elevate will cease to exist in relatively short order.

Positive experience today with VX, flight delayed where connection was impossible, received call from PDX OPS to proactively attempt rebook on AS. First time I've experienced that.

Negative experience part was having to call reservations to cancel and attempt to get a refund since compounding the rebooking in additional to previous schedule change delaying me a whole day. They refused to refund (that was after holds to talk to supervisors since the agents are not empowered). Took the travel bank for now and sent complaint to DOT.

As stated many times before call center useless, front line airport are great. Since my three next itins are screwed up so going straight to DOT and bypassing the useless call center.

The benefits to AS were not reciprocal, and unnecessary, since the VX program will be ended at the end of the year.

Doing the "sea-lax via JFK trick" huh?

Ah, FlyerTalk...

You mean the PDX-SFO-JFK/IAD/BOS/FLL-LAX trick that a zillion of us are doing or trying to do this year for EQMs I think these flights are what brought many of us AS elites to fly VX for the first time.

what trick? I was using it for work. They just happen to save me a ton by allowing connections vs buying separate tickets.

I flew BOS-LAX and the FA allowed me to sit in F for free. I was already in MCS and I asked about onboard upgrades while we were still at the gate. Said go ahead and take the seat and never asked for payment. Pretty sweet.

Do not count on this happening . Looks like a unique experience.
As reported on AS Facebook today, MVP Gold not allowed to move to empty exit row seat ( entire exit row empty) Without incurring additiona fee. Asked if AS status would be allowed for better seat and told "no way, not a benefit with VX".